Global air charter specialist Chapman Freeborn has successfully handled the delivery of oversized industrial equipment from Belgium to China. The equipment, welded tubes for industrial heat exchangers, was 20 meters long and weighed 700 kg. It was nose-loaded into a Boeing 747-400F at Liege Airport (LGG), Belgium and flown by cargo part-charter to Zhengzhou, China.

The client chose air cargo rather than ocean freight for transporting this delicate, oversized equipment because of a tight timeframe for delivery. Yoann Maugran, Sales Manager France at Chapman Freeborn Airchartering BV, comments:

“When a customer entrusts us with an oversized shipment, we understand that there is no room for error and that every detail counts. This is where Chapman Freeborn’s expertise comes into play. Oversized freight is often the most challenging part of our business, but also the most rewarding when a mission is successfully completed.”

Chapman Freeborn overcame multiple technical challenges in order to successfully execute this delivery on time and in a cost-effective manner. The welded tubes were shipped in a 20m-long crate, which ruled out side-door loading as an option. Instead, the cargo was nose-loaded onto a B747-400F, with this aircraft selected as the optimal nose door option for cost-effective delivery.

Handling this oversized cargo during the loading and unloading was far from straightforward. The Chapman Freeborn team had to ensure no bending or damage occurred to the delicate welded tubes during the loading process. Operations began in July with the truck offload and build up, before the hour-long aircraft loading was carried out 2 days later.

A complex combination of cranes and loaders was used, which required careful coordination. For the truck offload and build-up, two cranes were employed. Then 3 high loaders, operated by 6 ground staff, were used for the airside loading. Throughout this process, Chapman Freeborn worked closely with Challenge Group, who were brought in to provide experienced ground handling services at Liege Airport (LGG).

Flexibility and adaptability are always required when handling complex oversized freight. In the case of this delivery, an added complication was the last-minute change of final destination from Shanghai (PVG) to Zhengzhou (CGO). Despite this shift, Chapman Freeborn was able to provide the client with all necessary services, assisting with export customs clearance and maintaining direct flight representation. This ensured smooth operations and real-time updates for the client.

“This project has highlighted Chapman Freeborn’s expertise in oversized air cargo handling, its ability to smoothly coordinate multi-faceted operations, and its adaptability in the face of last-minute changes,” concludes Yoann Maugran.