Hong Kong - Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) – Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo terminal and freighter ramp operator – has handled two charter flights for its customer AirBridgeCargo Airlines, each carrying 20-meter long machinery components weighing 18,800kgs.

The outsize loads were carried on two of the airline’s brand-new B747-8 freighters from Schiphol, Netherlands, to Hong Kong; their final destination was Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland.

Due to their length, the machinery components were secured to customized built up pallets and had to be unloaded through the aircrafts’ nose doors. Unable to use cranes due to local regulations, Hactl deployed four main-deck loaders, which had to be lowered in perfect alignment to avoid any damage to the cargo.

Manoeuvring the unloaded cargo from aircraft side to the cargo terminal presented a further major challenge; traffic on the ramp road was temporarily re-routed, and a direct path to the terminal was cordoned off, to provide a straight journey without any sharp turns.

Says Hactl Chief Operating Officer Chee Hong Tan: “These were among the longest shipments we have unloaded from B747 freighters, and required extreme care due to their size, weight and delicate nature. It’s at times like this that the vast experience and skills of our ramp team really come into their own, ensuring this unusual cargo was handled with the necessary care, and that the aircraft departed on schedule.”