Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has handled two charter flights for its customer AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) – each carrying 20-metre long machinery components weighing 18,800 kilogrammes.
The outsize loads were carried on two of the airline’s new Boeing 747-8Fs from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands, to Hong Kong. The final destination for the payload was Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland.
Due to their length, the machinery components were secured to customised built up pallets and had to be unloaded through the aircrafts’ nose doors. Unable to use cranes due to local regulations, Hactl deployed four main-deck loaders, which had to be lowered in alignment to avoid any damage to the cargo.
Manoeuvring the unloaded cargo from aircraft side to the cargo terminal presented a further major challenge; traffic on the ramp road was temporarily re-routed, and a direct path to the terminal was cordoned off, to provide a straight journey without any sharp turns.
Hactl chief operating officer, Chee Hong Tan said: “These were among the longest shipments we have unloaded from B747 freighters, and required extreme care due to their size, weight and delicate nature. It’s at times like this that the vast experience and skills of our ramp team really come into their own, ensuring this unusual cargo was handled with the necessary care, and that the aircraft departed on schedule.”
ABC general director, Sergey Lazarev, added: “AirBridgeCargo has a proven track record when it comes to oversized and out-of-gauge shipments. Thanks to our expertise and the development of our abcXL product, we are able to guarantee safe and seamless services, powered by support from our reliable ground handling partners, such as Hactl.
“For such a sophisticated and challenging shipment, the abcXL team and Hactl have performed delicate workmanship, making sure the cargo was smoothly transported and unloaded.”
