October 4 - Ruslan International has flown a 79-tonne shipment of switchgear equipment from Dubai, UAE to Harare in Zimbabwe for power provider Aggreko.
Ruslan - which is a joint venture between Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Antonov Airlines - handled the carriage of the oversize shipment on one of its AN-124 freighters, while Volga-Dnepr Gulf provided a logistics solution on the ground.
The equipment was needed for a 200 MW diesel-fuelled power plant in Zimbabwe. Most of the materials were shipped by sea and road from various locations to the African nation, but airfreight was identified as the only "reliable and secure option" to deliver the time-critical switchgear equipment.
The switchgear equipment, which is used to connect power generating equipment to the national grid and helps to prevent short circuits and damage to the generators, comprised nine units measuring up to 4 m high.
Volga-Dnepr Gulf suggested that the frames holding the switchgear equipment be modified so that the cargo could be loaded and unloaded safely.
Aggreko also contracted Volga-Dnepr Gulf to arrange collection of the cargo from Jebel Ali Free Zone and organise two 50-tonne capacity cranes to load the units on board the AN-124 aircrft.
Volga-Dnepr Gulf also took care of all export documentation, Customs clearance, airport terminal cargo handling and airport permits for the cranes.
