The nose-door freighter is an aircraft breed in danger of becoming extinct, and yet for shipments such as the one Chapman Freeborn transported to Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) recently, it is the only one up to the game. And at 67 feet long (20.4 meters), it is no surprise that this was the longest piece of cargo ever to be handled at the Scottish airport. But it had to get there first and it did this on board of a Chapman Freeborn chartered Boeing 747F, starting out in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and travelling via Liège Airport (LGG) for a stopover and security screening. Despite its extraordinary length, unloading in Glasgow was a very quick affair – half and hour, with the involvement of three main deck loaders and two cranes. Weighing 24 tons, the cargo had been built up and loaded on three 20-foot connecting pallets. It travelled with two other 40-foot oil and gas components on board the B747F nose loader.
Adam Duckworth, Cargo Charter Broker at Chapman Freeborn “This operation required close coordination between our UK team and the airline, working alongside the CAA to ensure the cargo arrived on schedule,” said. “The handling agent’s team, Prestwick Cargo Services, did an exceptional job coordinating the offloading operation. We’re proud to have transported Prestwick’s longest piece of cargo to date, and remain dedicated to supporting our clients and the industries they serve, regardless of shipment size or complexity.”
