Forwarder Selected Antonov AN124 for Complex, Time-Critical Shipment
GEODIS has delivered a batch of urgently needed, oversized thermocompressors to southeast Colombia, chartering an Antonov AN124 to carry out the time-critical move.
Arriving from Portuguese capital city Lisbon, the AN124, one of the heaviest cargo aircraft on the market, undertook 13 flights over seven days to deliver the urgent components on behalf of a leading client. The operation, involving the shipment of 249 pieces of oversized, overweight cargo weighing 776 tons, had originally been slated for mobilization in Cartagena before overland delivery to its end destination via the Orquidea Bridge in Boyacá, GEODIS’s only road transport option for such heavy freight.
But following the bridge’s collapse in 2023, the forwarder had to quickly devise an alternative solution to meet the project’s tight deadline.
After evaluating various air charter solutions, the company identified the AN124 as the only aircraft option large enough to mobilize the cargo, with Barranquilla and Apiay selected as the airports of origin and destination, respectively, due to the validation of payload and technical conditions of the runway.
"Original planning for this project began well in advance," Carlos Palacios, managing director of GEODIS in Colombia, told Breakbulk. "At the time, we identified La Orquídea Bridge as the most cost-effective solution that would transport the cargo within the desired timeline. Of course, when the bridge collapsed, we adjusted our original plan to pivot to air to ensure we could complete the time-critical project within the original timeline.
"The pieces were moved to Barranquilla (AOL) because this is the only airport that would meet the technical conditions required to maneuver the extra dimension and weight characteristics of the AN-124."
At Apiay, a military base for the Colombian Air Force, GEODIS facilitated a study to determine the correct maneuvers for landing and takeoff, the location of the aircraft to avoid interrupting military base operations, fuel supply capacity, and the availability of an alternate facility during ground time.
While the Antonov AN-124 has a capacity of 100 tons, the maximum payload for landing in Apiay was 65 tons, meaning adjustments were made to the flight plans and loads with the Antonov that ultimately meant transporting the cargo over 12 domestic flights.
GEODIS and Antonov adjusted the load to mobilize the 12 separate pieces, including removing crates from the parts, placing 12 additional lashing points inside the aircraft, and removing stairs to fit the biggest piece of cargo onto the plane.
“With 13 total flights, including a long international journey and 12 domestic trips, this unprecedented operation faced consistent challenges to overcome,” Palacios said. “Despite the complexities, our team at GEODIS and our collaborators – including Antonov, the Colombian Air Force and the individual airports involved – were able to successfully come together to keep essential materials moving across the country at a critical time for our client’s operations.
“Given the constant changes, urgency of timeline and sensitive nature of the cargo, this project marks one of the biggest accomplishments for our GEODIS in Colombia team. Together with our collaborators, we proved that with flexibility and world-class talent we can overcome extreme challenges and execute exceptional air operations on behalf of our clients."
GEODIS will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Europe 2024 on 21-23 May in Rotterdam.
