Transportation to and from Asia is part of Hermes International's daily routine. But when a long-established German provider of special industrial solutions was faced with a logistical challenge a few weeks ago, it was immediately clear to everyone involved that this was going to be an extraordinary project: Two turbo compressors with a total weight of over 70 tons were to be transported from North Rhine-Westphalia to China. The schedule was tight: it took just under eight weeks from the initial inquiry with Hermes International to delivery to the Chinese end customer. A logistical tour de force that had to be mastered with expertise, commitment and precise planning.

Standard is not a solution
The first step was to check loadability. The original project plan envisaged transporting the freight by sea. However, the logistics specialists quickly realized that transport by sea would not be an option in the short time available.
In order not to jeopardize the usual quality for the Asian customer and to deliver the freight in time, the parties involved decided to transport it by air freight. This was an unusual approach, as the compressors, measuring 6 m x 3 m x 3.5 m and weighing 31 and 41 tons, could not be transported in a scheduled aircraft. "We were immediately aware that we would not be successful with a standard solution. We therefore had to find an aircraft that could cope with the high weight and small surface area. It quickly became clear that only an Antonov An-124 would be suitable. There is no alternative to the cargo aircraft for such extreme transports," says Eleftherios Trygousis, Commercial Sales Coordinator and Project Manager at Hermes International, explaining the decision to charter the second largest transport aircraft in the world.

Precise planning as the key to success
The logistics experts had to calculate and organize numerous factors. Hermes International was supported by Locon Consult GmbH, an independent consulting company specializing in the shipping industry. The pre-carriage was to be carried out by truck on the road: The heavy transport had to be approved in advance and the appropriate vehicles booked. In addition, customs formalities had to be arranged, the Antonov An-124 chartered and the freight prepared for transportation. Due to the punctual load in the aircraft, a six-meter-long transport frame (a heavy-duty pallet) had to be made for each compressor in order to better distribute the weight in the aircraft. The experts from Hermes International were on hand to advise the mechanical engineering company. Finally, special cranes had to be organized for loading the heavy freight and the slots for the Antonov had to be booked. "In the short time available and with such an extreme transport, precise planning and organization is a challenge. However, we successfully overcame this with experience and a well-coordinated team," says Trygousis.

© Hermes International

On the day of transportation
At midday on the day of transportation, two heavy-duty cranes lifted the compressors onto two low-loaders so that they could make their way to Cologne/Bonn as planned. On arrival at the airport, the freight was scanned and sniffed (checked for explosives and other dangerous substances) by the ground agent and under the constant supervision of Eleftherios Trygousis and taken to the apron. As the airlines are responsible for loading the freight at the airport, Hermes arranged a "Ready for Carriage" delivery with the transporting Volga-Dnepr airline. This allowed Hermes employees to closely monitor the entire pre-carriage process and ensure the integrity of the freight. "It is very important to us to accompany the freight for as long as possible in order to ensure seamless quality control," emphasizes Trygousis.

Loading with obstacles
As the apron is used for other purposes at night, the airport had only granted loading permission until 10 pm. Scheduled loading was absolutely essential, which is why Hermes established contact between the Volga Dnepr loadmaster and the shipper's engineer in advance to ensure that the cargo could be loaded. A special crane including a lifting beam was therefore already waiting on the apron for the unusual freight. Before loading could begin, however, the compressors still had to be lifted onto the heavy-duty pallets and a heavy cargo ramp mounted and adjusted on the aircraft. This was to be used to carefully push the heavyweights into the cargo hold. This all took place under the watchful eyes of project manager Trygousis and some of the customer's employees. The customer wanted to see the transportation of his compressors on the world's second largest cargo plane up close. At around 4.30 p.m., a thunderstorm was brewing over the airport. Despite the tight schedule, those responsible decided to interrupt the loading. "The safety of the personnel involved naturally had top priority. In addition, the integrity of the cargo could no longer be guaranteed," Trygousis explains the decision. After a two-hour interruption, the loading of the freight could continue and by around 8 p.m. the second compressor had also disappeared from the cargo hold and was secured.

Prepared for everything
Thanks to professional coordination, the entire run-up was completed in just nine hours. The intensive planning paid off. "It only became critical when we didn't know for sure until shortly before the end whether we could really land in Shanghai Pudong," says Trygousis, adding: "Of course, we are always prepared for deviations from the plan, but we were happy when the necessary slots were granted after all. Our plan B, to fly to Nanjing Airport in China, was therefore not used." The compressors were finally able to set off on their journey to China from the Bundeswehr tarmac at 11 pm.

Order ends successfully in Shanghai
Several stopovers were planned on the flight route. As the huge Antonov cannot be refueled in the air, this was done from the ground. The crew was replaced and the aircraft and cargo were checked again. "The stopovers gave us a valuable opportunity to check the condition of the cargo again in detail," Trygousis explains the advantages. When the freight finally arrived at the airport in Shanghai, the order was completed for Hermes International. The Incoterm, which was negotiated between the mechanical engineering company and the recipient of the compressors, provided for transportation CFR Shanghai Airport. "Our customer and we ourselves are extremely satisfied with the outcome," says Trygousis, summing up this unusual project, which he will certainly remember for a long time to come. "It's not every day that you charter one of the largest cargo aircraft in the world. This is also something extraordinary for us," Trygousis concludes.