…claims the Miami-based cargo carrier. It has just inked an agreement with Manestream to transport show jumping, race and other competition horses between Brussels and Miami. The number of horses transported varies from week to week, depending on the show or racing event in Florida. However, there are usually four. Yet sometimes even more equines are flown across the Atlantic each month.
It is an alliance between an established airline hat has been in the market for 50 years and a ewcomer that was only founded in 2022. However, fresh approaches, even in the air transportation of high-performance horses, can be inspiring. This holistic service offer is such an example: “We provide one point of contact, one bill, and put an emphasize on lasting client relations and excellent horse care,” says Lucas Porter, Director Manestream, describing his company’s approach. Apparently, it was so convincing that Amerijet decided to join forces. This can be considered an accolade and is by no means a matter of course, as there are quite a number of companies, whether in Europe or North America, that offer all-round service and care packages for horse transportation. Anyone who doubts this should take a look at the Horse-Inn at Liège Airport or the Animal Lounge at Frankfurt Rhine-Main.
Perfect service
Just recently, 24 mustangs landed in FRA coming over from North America. The animals were emaciated and in danger of starving to death because they were underfed by their previous owner. In contrast, horses flown by Manestream and Amerijet do not face such fate. “They are looked after from minute one, and enjoy a perfect service,” says Lucas Porter. The caretaking already starts when a horse is picked up from its home stall. Even before the equine is trucked to BRU Airport, the Dutch branch of Manestream arranges the entire paperwork, checks the lab results and the validation of the vaccination documents. Once all this is done, the horse is boarded and is accompanied by a groom during the flight.
IATA provides clear and strict rules for the transportation of animals by air: When accepting consignments of live animals, carriers are responsible for ensuring the in FRAin FRAconformity of various factors such as:
Appropriate containers or stalls, the environmental conditions in these compartments – ventilation rate and direction of airflow, heating or cooling arrangements, in-flight care, availability of storage facilities on the ground, and trained ground staff. This is IATA criteria that Manestream is familiar with. “Each horse is safely accommodated and accompanied by a groom throughout the journey to ensure a safe and comfortable flight,” the company assures in a press release.
Preventing operational hiccups
Before signing their pact, Amerijet was checked by the experts from Manestream. “Having closely analyzed the carrier’s possibilities to move horses from Europe to Miami, we were interested in the potentials that Amerijet provided due to their days of operation and the flexibility in managing horse bookings,” explains Porter. He goes on to say: “As shipping horses can present some operational challenges or unexpected changes, it is essential to work with individuals and a carrier that can understand and offer operational flexibility.”
This was reflected by Tim Spillane, Director Cargo Operations at Amerijet International Inc. “Recognizing that each equine shipment is unique, Amerijet offers customized solutions tailored to the specific needs of our clients. Whether it’s a single horse or an entire stable of top-level equine athletes, Amerijet can accommodate a wide range of requirements. We are proud to be recognized as a premier carrier by Manestream Logistics.”
Although horse transports between the EU, North America and back, are the most common shipment routes, flights to Mexico or the Caribbean Isles are no exception, states Porter. It always depends on tournaments and events. Overall, however, South Florida is the Mecca for equestrian sport, especially when the weather over in Europe becomes cold and frosty.
