The precious cargo was loaded at South Africa’s O. R. Tambo International airport, near Johannesburg, to be taken to Zhengzhou in China, via ABC’s Moscow Sheremetyevo cargo hub. The calves, collectively weighing around 38 tonnes, were on their way to various animal parks in the Zhengzhou region.
With each giraffe up to three metres in height, special transportation containers were provided by the customer, BSI Logistics, to ensure their comfort and safety throughout the journey. The giraffes were carried in groups of three per container and accompanied by animal specialists, as well as plenty of water and sustenance on their journey.
A dedicated abc CARE team, part of the airline’s specialist live animals service, ensured all of the flight and handling procedures were organised in compliance with IATA’s Live Animals Regulations.
Sergey Lazarev, General Director of AirBridgeCargo Airlines, said: “In the first half of 2018, we witnessed an 18% increase in the transportation of live animals, which reflects our reputation as a proven and reliable service provider for these specialist air cargo services.”
All 66 giraffes were safely delivered to China and ABC’s customer for the flight, BSI Logistics commented positively on the experience. “We really appreciate ABC’s hard work, professional assistance and support. We think our best choice is to choose your charter service for our next shipment,” said BSI Airfreight Manager, Jasmine Zhang.