But which spice was it? The Air Charter Service press release doesn’t say, though it does include a fun pun reference to itself as being “the seasoned professionals.” The details are that ACS transported several tons of seasoning to Managua on board of an A330-200F. It was an emergency operation to avoid a factory shutdown of a Mexican meat products manufacturer in Nicaragua – could this be the one that Mexico’s largest beef producer, SuKarne, opened back in 2011, following a USD 100 million investment? Either way, a standard Mexican-style seasoning blend for beef products typically includes chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper, and sometimes achiote or paprika, so any or all those could have been on the flight.
Luis Canales-Tough, Cargo Director of ACS Mexico, commented: “The client originally approached us for our next flight out (NFO) service, to move around 18 tons of the condiment, used at a meat products manufacturing plant in Managua, to avoid the production line shutting down. After discussing the potential closure with the customer we advised that, due to the infrequency of scheduled flights from Mexico to Nicaragua, a charter carrying 51 tons on one flight could be a better solution and would still get there in time, which they agreed to. We worked closely with the airline and the national authorities in Nicaragua to obtain the necessary permits, and were able to accelerate the process by getting a letter of urgency from the consignee. The customer had never chartered before, so we then talked them through the correct customs procedures to ensure everything ran smoothly. To make sure the operation went without a hitch, we offered to accompany the shipment down to Managua. The cargo arrived in time to stop the factory in Nicaragua having to shut down its production line.”
