Porsche has flown 19 of its 911 GTI Cup racing cars to the Middle East for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. It is the first time that cars from a Carrera Cup series have been transported by air anywhere in the world.
Singapore Airlines Cargo picked up the vehicles in early November from Singapore’s Changi International Airport on a chartered Boeing 747-400 freight aircraft and delivered them the following day, for the final leg of the championship race at Bahrain International Circuit.
The cars were taken to Singapore by sea from Shanghai – they are usually transported by sea the whole way. With less than three weeks to get them from the Formula One event in Shanghai to Bahrain, Porsche chose to fly the cars. The overall operation took just two weeks to organise.
The freighter was fitted with five double-deck car racks for ten of the vehicles, with the remaining nine and all other equipment secured on a single level; the whole operation was overseen by specialist logistics provider Racing Logistics International (RLI).
“There were several things we needed to do to properly prepare the cars,” said RLI’s Operations Director Matt McLaughlin. “From the time the cars arrives in Singapore from Shanghai we basically had two days to do everything. We needed to build the palletes to maximise the use of space and ensure that all the vehicles and equipment were secured.”
The 19 cars weighed 22 tonnes, with another 28 tonnes being allocated for spare parts and equipment.