As the official air transport carrier of the ‘Batmobile’ as part of Turkish Airlines’ partnership with the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Turkish Cargo required a zero error margin both at departure and arrival points
Turkish Cargo has carried some unusual and highly valuable freight over the years for a wide and varying set of sometimes demanding customers, but never before has it served a Superhero.
However, Turkish Airlines’ partnership with Warner Bros. for the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has meant that Turkish Cargo has also become the official air transport carrier of the Batmobile, carrying this extraordinary car to launch events of the movie at various locations.
Starting its journey from Gotham City’s alter-ego New York, from JFK Airport, the first stop of the Batmobile’s journey with Turkish Cargo was London, via Istanbul, an operation conducted as part of the car’s and the film’s promotional European Tour.
The airline is no stranger to carrying sensitive and challenging cargo, from unusual wildlife such as whales and giraffes, to racing cars and artwork, and so the carriage of a single car might seem like a routine operation. But while Batman may not always drive his car in the most careful fashion, the responsibility of carrying this one-off Superhero vehicle required an altogether different magnitude of care.
Preliminary work
When the date of the first transport was announced for 12 February, the manufacturer of the car, the container manufacturer, the cargo operations agency, and producer Warner Bros., all began working together to finalize the operation.
Although there were no obvious technical problems expected for the transport of the car, Turkish Cargo’s US team nonetheless adopted a ‘zero-error’ approach, including performing a pre-load test. Three weeks before the vehicle was scheduled to depart, a model container was prepared and carried by Turkish Airlines Flight TK6557. Everything seemed perfect. The Batmobile was then prepared for transport in accordance with Turkish Cargo’s instructions for the shipment to the warehouse at JFK airport on 11 February.
Again taking maximum precautions for the transport, the Turkish Cargo team also adjusted all other cargo shipments that were scheduled to be on the same flight as the Batmobile. Indeed, the planning of the shipment, which has an actual weight of 6.8 tonnes and a volumetric weight of approximately 30 tonnes, required a zero-error margin at both departure and arrival points, with the respective teams coordinating the movement and quickly and accurately completing the necessary preparations, in order to satisfy the studio and car manufacturer – and its Superhero owner. After all, on balance it is better to keep a Superhero on your side. So, after the necessary checks were made, the Batmobile was accepted – and successfully delivered.
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ABOUT THE BATMOBILE
With an incredible 650 horsepower, its massive engine gives the Batmobile the capacity to reach a speed of 100 kilometres per hour in 5.5 seconds, despite weighing 6.8 tonnes. After all, this car delivers Batman to the scene of crime in the blink of an eye! This formidable car looks sharp and moves fast – and with a length of 6.4 metres, a height of 2 metres, and a width of 3.3 metres, its low centre of gravity gives it extra stability and control at high speeds, while allowing it to almost disappear when required (a phenomenon familiar within air cargo warehouses!). At 3.3 metres wide, the Batmobile is almost twice the width of a normal car, making driving on narrow country roads potentially tricky. Then again, we’re not sure Batman leaves Gotham City that often.
BATMOBILE FIGURES
Height: 2 metres
Length: 6.4 metres
Width: 3.3 metres
Engine power: 650 hp
Weight: 6.8 tonnes
