Outsize cargo for stricken ship

A large shipping company was spared an operational headache last month when Air Charter Service assisted a freight forwarder in organising the transportation of an urgent spare part weighing 40,000 KG from Norway to Japan.

The vessel belonging to the firm was damaged in heavy seas off the coast of Japan, resulting in the loss of the main thrusters which power the ship and allow for its manoeuvrability.

As the ship limped back to port, the freight forwarder called Air Charter Service to help with the urgent air transportation of replacement thrusters that were located in Norway.

Lloyd Robinson quickly arranged an Antonov-124 aircraft for the charter to Japan. The AN-124 was ideally suited to the outsize dimensions of the giant piece as it allowed for the careful loading to be conducted through the nose of the aircraft with the help of a crane (see picture).

The piece was delivered on an impressive timescale, helping the engineers to get the ship back to sea in a matter of days.

Urgent charters for gas equipment

Air Charter Service’s New York team were last month requested to arrange the air transportation of technical equipment to Port of Spain (POS), Trinidad, after a strong earthquake (6.1 magnitude) hit the island and damaged a natural gas production plant.

Fortunately there were no reports of serious injuries caused by the quake. There was however damage to infrastructure, and as a major supplier of natural gas to the United States and other countries the operators of damaged production plant urgently required technical equipment and spare parts for repairs.

The team in New York arranged four urgent cargo charters into Port of Spain in the days after the earthquake. Ruan Courtney arranged a DC-10 and a DC-8 aircraft from the UK, followed by the charters of two Falcon 20 aircraft from Texas.

These successful time-critical aircraft charters allowed repairs to be made and output restored in the shortest time possible.

Modernised IL-76 a welcome addition to charter market

Air Charter Service’s Gary Hopkins has been the first at the company to take advantage of the all new Chapter 4 certified IL-76TD-90VD aircraft, with a charter of 40 tonnes of urgent oil equipment from Italy to Hassi Messaoud, Algeria.

It is likely to be first of many charters on this new build cargo aircraft which can freely operate across Europe and the USA as it is designed to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) noise and emissions requirements.

The long running success of the IL-76 is based on its unique capabilities as well as its economic efficiency. Not requiring any additional airport loading equipment, the self-sufficient IL-76 is able to fly charters to remote locations including humanitarian aid flights.

The new model has a an improved MTOW of 195 tonnes, an increased payload of 50 tonnes, and a reduced fuel consumption rate making it more efficient.