HLPFI reviews the shortlisted entries for the 2024 Airfreight Solution of the Year award, sponsored by Faymonville Group.
This award will be presented for an outstanding project cargo shipment that has been executed by air in the last 12 months. This category can be entered by an airline, operator, forwarder, or as a combined entry from partners on a specific project.
Our 2024 shortlist includes:
Air Partner
In February 2024, the cargo division of Air Partner – a Wheels Up company – orchestrated the chartered delivery of two heavy-duty crates containing oil well spares, weighing a total of 45 tonnes, from Malpensa International Airport in Milan, Italy, to Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. The complex operation went up against the clock, with innovative thinking required to save the client money and ensure successful delivery within a tight timeframe.
Blue Bell Shipping
Over a period of three months, Blue Bell Shipping chartered 45 flights for this project, utilising AN-124, IL-76, B747F, B777 and B737-800F aircraft. The mammoth project involved the movement of over 3,200 tonnes of pipe and accessories from multiple origins – including the UAE, China and South Korea – to Kazakhstan. Due to congestion in the Red Sea, the cargo was required urgently to prevent the client, an oilfield operator, from losing millions of dollars due to reduced production on site in Kazakhstan.
Chapman Freeborn
Chapman Freeborn’s record-breaking project involved the most helicopters transported on a single flight, with the delivery of six Bell helicopters from Greece to Australia. The impressive move saw the Bell214ST and Bell214B helicopters flown to their destination on a Silk Way West Airlines B747-800F aircraft.
Fracht Group
With complex cargo, cost constraints and a tight timeframe, Fracht was tasked with finding the best solution for the transport of pre-assembly line machine components from Switzerland to China. By chartering an IL-76TD-90 and B747-400 freighter aircraft under one airway bill, Fracht was able to reduce the customer’s costs and assist with a swift delivery to the consignment’s destination.
Geodis Project Logistics
Due to a bridge collapsing on the only feasible route to deliver its client’s cargo to a destination in remote Colombia, Geodis was tasked with finding a unique airfreight solution to ensure the consignment was delivered to site on time during the Christmas period. Despite the security challenges in the country and the very short notice, Geodis successfully arranged 13 flights using an AN-124 aircraft, which required detailed engineering work in order to accommodate the oversize cargo.
The winner of this year’s Airfreight Solution of the Year award will be announced at the Heavy Lift Awards 2024 ceremony on October 23 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. To join the celebrations, book your place today.
