case study
EXTREME CHARTERS FOR EXTREME AIR CARGO
INDUSTRY: INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY
MODE OF TRANSPORT: AIR CHARTER
ROUTE: OOSTENDE, BELGIUM TO HOUSTON, TX USA
DATE: JULY 2019
THE CLIENT
A leading international manufacturer of pipe and machinery fabrication.
THE CHALLENGE
Green Worldwide Shipping® was tested with providing the Customs Clearance and Delivery of an oversized and 19,000 kg pipe spool for the client’s largest North American customer from Oostende, BE to Houston, TX, U.S. on a tight deadline. To accomplish this heavyweight charter, Green utilized the services of the Antonov An-124 Long-Range Heavy Transport Aircraft International Cargo Transporter.
The An-124, designed by the Antonov ASTC in Kiev, Ukraine, is a very large cargo aircraft with a payload capacity of up to 150t. It is manufactured by the Aviant State Aviation Plant, Kiev, and Aviastar, Ulyanovsk, Russia.
The aircraft is designed for long-range delivery and air dropping of heavy and large-size cargo, including machines, equipment and troops.
The two cargo hatches are a distinctive structural feature. The fuselage nose can be hinged upward to open the front cargo hatch and there is a rear cargo hatch in the rear fuselage to speed up the cargo loading and unloading operations.
The onboard system of cargo handling equipment makes it possible to load and unload the aircraft without the help of ground facilities.
The paradropping and cargo-handling equipment comprise two travelling cranes, two winches, rollgang and tiedown equipment. The aircraft is often compared to the US Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy. The An-124 has a transportation capability 25% higher than that of the C-5A and 10% higher than the C-5B.
THE RESULT
Green’s Houston freight experts worked with the client to coordinate the airfreight options for the oversized cargo.
The Antonov An-124, once the world’s second heaviest operating cargo aircraft, left on a direct flight from Oostende, BE heading to George Bush International Airport in Houston, TX with the client’s cargo and Green’s support team safely secured. Upon arrival in Texas, the 47-foot crate was unloaded using a custom, hand-built ramp for the Antonov. The unloading crew, which flew with the 19,000 kg cargo, unloaded the freight slowly and safely to a point where the cargo could be safely lifted. Green Worldwide Shipping’s Houston freight experts rented two cranes and worked with a dedicated crew to lift and load the pipe spool onto the oversized truck for delivery. All of this was done in the early morning hours so the Houston heat would not get the best of the crews. Check out some pictures of the cargo below.
