Evelina Zaborskė, Sales Manager at the Cargo Center of the ground handling company “Litcargus,” says that for people not involved in air logistics, it can be surprising to hear how diverse the pallet of goods transported by airplanes can be.
“Not only dogs or cats are transported by airplanes, but also laboratory mice, chinchillas, vehicles, very valuable cargo – money, precious metals, diamonds, jewelry. Urgently needed spare aviation parts also travel by air, and sometimes even aircraft engines have to be transported from one continent to another,” says E. Zaborskė.
According to her, Lithuanian airports are not as large transit centers as Frankfurt, Istanbul, or Leipzig, but exceptional cargo also occurs here. Among the most memorable cargoes this year, she highlights a racing car arriving from Egypt, a famous painting from India, motorcycles, and rare animals.
The value of the cargo can reach millions
According to E. Zaborskė, air transport is chosen for such cargoes not by chance: airplanes often carry cargoes of higher value or those that need to reach the recipient very quickly.
“The specific values of cargoes are usually not disclosed, and we do not calculate which one was the most expensive. However, we are talking about millions. It is not necessarily diamonds or an expensive artwork – very high value can be, for example, pharmaceutical products,” says E. Zaborskė.
However, value is only one of the challenges. As the “Litcargus” specialist explains, some cargoes are difficult to handle due to their size or fragility. One cargo item can weigh several tons, and with special arrangements, cargoes weighing up to 10 tons can be handled. Their length sometimes reaches five or six meters, and height – more than two meters.
Such cargoes can be industrial machines, a large X-ray machine, or an aircraft engine. For the latter, shippers prepare special loading plans that must be strictly followed.
“Some cargoes are impressive not only in size but also in fragility. For example, large showcase windows are transported by airplanes. And when loading an aircraft engine, it must not be damaged – the safety of passengers later depends on its condition,” notes E. Zaborskė.
Chinchillas also travel by plane, and inquiries have even been made about alpacas
A separate category of air cargo is animals. Most often dogs and cats travel, but there are also rabbits, pigeons, lizards, chinchillas, and other rare animals. This year, inquiries were received about much larger passengers, such as alpacas and horses.
However, the “Litcargus” specialist notes that such animals usually require larger cargo planes, so their transport from Lithuania is complicated and expensive. In such cases, possibilities are sought to fly animals on direct flights from major European airports.
“The journey of a live animal is quite different from regular cargo. Proper storage conditions, ventilation, and temperature must be ensured, and the route is planned so that waiting time is as short as possible. The sender must provide the necessary documents and a suitable transport box, whose condition is assessed by trained staff upon acceptance. Animals are loaded last onto the plane and unloaded first upon landing – this aims to minimize their waiting time and reduce stress,” explains E. Zaborskė.
From vaccines and ice cream to flowers and lasers
Special conditions are also required for temperature-sensitive cargo. These include medicines, vaccines, and biological samples, food products – chocolate, fish, curds, or ice cream. Controlled temperature may also be needed for flowers or lasers.
Depending on the cargo, different temperature regimes may be required – from +15–25 degrees to subzero temperatures. Since it is not always possible to maintain the same environmental conditions throughout the journey, proper packaging is very important. Special sensors also allow monitoring whether the cargo has experienced excessive temperature fluctuations.
More than one check before the flight
No matter what cargo is traveling by plane, it undergoes established procedures before the flight. Upon arrival at the airport, it is weighed and measured, registered in the system, documents are prepared, and customs formalities are handled if necessary. Later, a security check is performed, usually using X-rays.
“Safety is the most important in aviation, so cargoes are checked, although the method of inspection may vary depending on their nature. Separate procedures are required for dangerous, radioactive, temperature-sensitive cargo, or animals,” says E. Zaborskė.
The airline decides where in the aircraft the cargo will travel. Specially trained loading planners assess its weight, dimensions, nature, and other requirements. Therefore, on a passenger flight, much more unexpected cargo can travel alongside suitcases – from high-value vaccines or artworks to dangerous cargo requiring special conditions.
Moreover, not every cargo brought in is immediately accepted for the flight. The most common reasons are improper packaging or labeling and missing or incorrectly prepared documents.
“For example, an electric scooter is already considered dangerous cargo, so it requires proper packaging, labeling, and documents. It is simply not possible to hand it over to the cargo terminal and send it on another plane,” says E. Zaborskė.
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