We were asked to fly 57 tonnes of industrial valves from France to China. With cranes required to lift the cargo onto an Antonov AN-124 and a late request to redesign of the cargo's metallic frame, this was a far from simple charter.
Flying heavy machinery to China
In September 2021, we were asked to transport an oversized consignment of industrial valves from France to China. The client had originally planned to ship the heavy machinery by sea, so we needed to adapt its packaging to ensure the time-critical cargo complied with flying safety standards and could now travel by air instead.
Our Solution
Routes: Vatry > Tianjin
Aircraft: Antonov An-124
We sourced an Antonov An-124, which was fitted with cranes that could load the 57 tonnes of machinery directly from the trucks transporting it to the airport, and worked with the Chinese civil aviation authority to secure the necessary permits. After visiting the factory where the cargo was stored, our consultants and the operating airline’s loadmaster advised the client to redesign the metallic frame support in line with regulations. Once this was done, we were able to load the valves onto the aircraft and fly them to China.
The Finer Details
Global Network: Our offices in Geneva and China worked together to ensure this charter ran smoothly.