Of all the different kinds of cargo that take to the air, flying animals is a particularly special operation – more so, when they are rescue animals being offered a better life either in their native region, or in specialized conservation facilities. Air Charter Service was recently tasked with one such extraordinary mission. Over 100 animals were carefully loaded onto a specially chartered Boeing 747, and flown from Thailand to a newly built sanctuary ‘near the eastern coast of India’, according to the press release. Could this be Vantara, a major 3,000-3,500-acre center in Gujarat that was inaugurated MAR25 near Jamnagar? In any case, the 3,000-acre facility indicated is specialized in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation.
Brendan Toomey, CEO of ACS Singapore, illustrated: “We received a call from our client who was looking to transport a whole host of animals from Bangkok to Ahmedabad, to a sanctuary hosting thousands of similar animals – many rescued from circuses, zoos, or trafficking networks. There was a wide range of different animals that needed to fly on the charter, including zebras, sloths, wallabies, hawks, pacas and raccoons, all of which needed to be monitored by onboard vets throughout the flight. The total weight of the animals, their enclosures, their food and the vets came to 50 tons, meaning a B747 was the best choice for the flight. Initially we worked closely with the Thai Civil Aviation Association and the client to ensure all correct export documents were provided, in order to get the permits in a timely manner, as we were given less than two weeks’ notice to get the job done. The representative from our Singapore office on the ground helped coordinate the airport warehouse, a dedicated area and necessary equipment in order to load the animals safely and as swiftly as possible. He then travelled on the charter to help manage the offloading process in India, before the animals’ onward journey to their new home.”
