A UNIQUE freight aircraft arrives at its new base at Teesside International Airport today.
The Conroy Guppy specialises in outsize cargo and is the only one of its type in the world.
It has the ability to haul single items of freight up to 80ft in length over long distances, thanks to its four Rolls Royce Tyne turbo prop engines.
In the past, the aircraft has transported giraffes, aircraft fuselages and helicopters.
It has also carried urgent medical and humanitarian supplies, oil rig equipment and coastal patrol vessels.
Malcolm Porter, of operators Johnsons Air, said: "The aircraft is to be based at Teesside, a decision based on the area's known links with heavy industry and the airport management team's desire to develop their freight business as a server for the region's industrial and business community."
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