It’s not every day a touch of Hollywood comes to Port Kembla, but that’s exactly what happened in May, with John Travolta’s former luxury jet arriving at the port on board the Wallenius Wilhelmsen carrier Thermopylae.
The project to bring the aircraft to Australia for the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Museum at Shellharbour has been more than a decade in the making, with coordination across the supply chain between Qube, AAT, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, NSW Ports and freight forwarders, AAW Global Logistics.
NSW Ports Business Development Manager, Lana Denn said the arrival of the plane showed the capability of Port Kembla.
“We’ve welcomed a unique piece of cargo, a Boeing 707 to Port Kembla – in what is an iconic piece of Australian aviation history.
“This operation highlighted exactly what our port can do. Port Kembla is the roll-on, roll-off gateway for NSW, handling the State’s motor vehicle imports as well as diversified trades including dry bulk and major project cargoes.”
Those watching the operation were fortunate enough to be given unusually close access to the vessel, offering a front-row perspective of the unfolding activity.
As the nose section of the Boeing 707 slowly emerged from the cargo hold of the Thermopylae, a real sense of excitement and celebration filled the scene.
Planning for the discharge began in January, with teams needing to assess dimensions, weight, tidal charts and ramp gradients before the aircraft could safely be moved from the vessel.
HARS vice-president Maureen Massey and president and chief pilot Bob de la Hunty said the aircraft carried a remarkable history long before its final voyage Down Under. “Prior to John Travolta owning it, it was owned by Frank Sinatra, which most people don’t know,” Maureen said.
The aircraft will now be reassembled at the HARS facility in Shellharbour by volunteers and apprentices, with Bob de la Hunty describing it as “a huge Meccano set”.
