National Airlines completes longest cargo flight from Prestwick
The time-critical charter carried an aerospace component to Australia for a grounded aircraft, highlighting the airport's cargo handling capabilities and 24/7 operations.
PIK loading National Airlines B777F
Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) has supported National Airlines in completing its longest-ever cargo flight, transporting a critical aerospace component from Prestwick to Melbourne Airport (MEL), Australia, for a grounded aircraft.
The nearly 20-hour flight covered 9,849 miles and made use of Prestwick Airport's unrestricted 24/7 operating environment, in-house cargo handling capabilities and its proximity to the Prestwick aerospace cluster.
The flight was operated by National Airlines using its new Boeing 777 Freighter, brokered through Golden Aviation, in response to an urgent aircraft-on-ground (AOG) requirement. The component was transported directly from Prestwick to Melbourne.
Aerospace cargo for National Airlines' B777F
Jules Matteoni, Chief Executive Officer of Glasgow Prestwick Airport, said the airport's unrestricted operations, experienced in-house teams and direct access to an established aerospace cluster enable it to support complex, time-critical missions at short notice.
He congratulated National Airlines on the achievement and said the flight is believed to be the longest commercial cargo flight operated by a Boeing 777 Freighter anywhere in the world. He added that the airport was proud to have supported the mission and remains ready to handle urgent charter requirements where speed and flexibility are needed.
Alan White, Chief Growth Officer at National Airlines, said the mission demonstrated the airline's ability to deliver mission-critical cargo anywhere in the world by combining speed, operational excellence and global reach.
He said the airline's flight operations, maintenance, dispatch and ground teams can position its freighter fleet within hours of a customer enquiry and carry out time-critical missions with precision. He also thanked the Glasgow Prestwick Airport team for its operational flexibility and specialist support in handling the AOG components and ensuring the mission was completed on schedule.
David Giles, Director of Operations at Golden Aviation, said the charter required all stakeholders to work together to arrange the landing, handling, parking, processing, loading, refuelling and slot approvals over the weekend so the flight could depart as soon as possible on Monday.
He said the Prestwick team handled the operation efficiently from start to finish and ensured the aircraft departed on schedule. He added that the airport's professionalism, responsiveness and ability to act quickly across all aspects of the ground handling operation were key to the success of the urgent charter.
