Hactl helps AirBridgeCargo Airlines to deliver outsized shipments

June 12, 2018: Cargo handler Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has handled two charter flights for its customer AirBridgeCargo Airlines, each carrying 20-meter long machinery components weighing 18,800 kilograms.

The Russian-based all cargo airline carried the outsized shipments on two of the airline’s brand-new B747-8 freighters from Schiphol, Netherlands, to Hong Kong.

The final destination 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 perfect 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.

Chee Hong Tan, chief operating officer, Hactl 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.

Sergey Lazarev, general director of AirBridgeCargo Airlines added: “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.”