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ACS transports over 110 pieces of outsize machinery from India to Ghana

Air Charter Service (ACS) recently transported 163 tons of outsize machinery from India to Ghana for a customer that required them for a power plant in Kumasi. The air charter firm said its customer in Mumbai needed to move more than 110 pieces in total to ensure the power plant could run more efficiently. Shahvez Jafary, chief commercial officer of ACS's Indian operations, commented: "We were contacted by a client in Mumbai who needed to move a large amount of machinery and other components urgently to Ghana, where they were needed for a major power plant, in order to get it running more efficiently. "The initial packing list included some outsize pieces that weighed more than 12.5 tons and were more than 10 metres in length, with the total weight of the cargo totalling more than 150 tons." Jafary said the length of some of the machinery pieces necessitated using a nose-loading Boeing 747 freighter, though the final operation utilised two aircraft in total rather than the three originally planned, which saved costs. "Following several changes to the packing list in the lead up to the flights, the client confirmed the final cargo details just days before their requested flight date, with more than 110 pieces in total," he said. "Working hard alongside the operator's loadmaster team and the client we managed to use only two aircraft instead of the initially planned three, meaning a significant saving for our customer. "With the machinery parts that measured 10 metres long, we needed to use a nose-loading B747 freighter, utilising another B747 for the remainder of the shipment. "Two external cranes that we sourced for the client were used to move the bulkiest items onto the nose-loading freighter, while the smaller components were palletised for the second aircraft. "After the flights landed in Accra, the crucial machinery was safely offloaded and transported the remainder of the journey by truck, to the power project, in Kumasi."

Etihad Airways and Swissport expand global cargo partnership

Swissport has expanded its global ground handling and cargo partnership with Etihad Airways to extend its scope of work with the airline from 30 to 40 airports. The expanded ground handling and cargo services partnership covers airports across Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. Air Cargo News has asked Swissport to confirm how many of the 40 airports it provides cargo handling services at. Both sides intend to have a long-term partnership, giving them a framework to add airports and services as Etihad's network grows, said Swissport. Majed Al Marzouqi, chief operations and guest officer, Etihad Airways, said: "Etihad is expanding at pace, and each new destination we add depends on the right standard of service being in place on the ground before the first flight arrives. "Working with one partner across 40 airports gives our guests the same experience whether they are departing from Europe, Asia or North America, and gives our operation the consistency it needs to match that expansion. "By combining Swissport's global expertise with Etihad's ambitious plans, we can enhance efficiency, service quality and the guest experience across our operations, while creating a strong platform for what comes next." Warwick Brady, president and chief executive, Swissport, added: "Etihad and Swissport are a natural fit. We share the same ambition for operational excellence and an uncompromising focus on the customer experience. "Etihad is embarking on an exciting phase of growth, and Swissport is proud to support that journey with our global network, our teams' operational expertise and our technology capabilities. "Our track record in managing complex, large aviation hubs will enable us to support Etihad effectively wherever its growth takes it." The MoU also has scope to extend the relationship into airport hospitality through Swissport's Aspire brand, which operates 110 airport lounges worldwide. Swissport's recent expansion efforts have included investment in a new cold chain facility at Kilimanjaro International Airport to cater for perishables, entry into the Chinese market with the launch of operations at Shanghai Pudong Airport, and entry into the Moroccan market through the purchase of Swiftair Maroc.

Nanjing steps up deepsea ambitions with direct North Africa service

China's Nanjing port has taken another step towards its ambition of scaling up from being a river port to offering deep-sea container services. Cosco Shipping Lines has started a direct liner service between Nanjing and North Africa, using the newly built general cargo ship Guo Fu Hai. On Friday, the 79,800 dwt Guo Fu Hai, which can carry up to 2,970 teu, filled just over half its capacity at Nanjing's Longtan Container Terminal. Cargoes included machinery and vehicles. This was the largest container loading at Longtan to date, as only around 20 international container routes are connected to Nanjing, and these are all intra-Asia services. This is Guo Fu Hai's maiden voyage and the ship will sail on to Ningbo and Hong Kong, before arriving in Egypt's Port Said and Libya's Benghazi port in around 20 days. In recent years, container transport from Nanjing has continuously made breakthroughs. In December 2024, the port saw its first container ship voyage to the west, when the 2,526 teu Honwell departed for Russia's St Petersburg port. In August last year, the same ship fulfilled the first container shipment from Nanjing to Europe, via the Northern Sea Route. In 2025, Nanjing's container volumes crossed the 4m teu mark for the first time. By 2035, Nanjing hopes to handle 6.3m teu annually. Port officials said the departure of Guo Fu Hai tests Nanjing's capacity for navigation, berthing, and operational support for ocean-going vessels, and also indicates its evolution from primarily being a transhipment conduit for hinterland cargoes to Shanghai and Ningbo. Cosco Shipping Lines' Jiangsu branch's operations manager Wang Jianping said: "With this route, cargo sources from nearby areas like Anhui, Zhenjiang, and Yangzhou that were previously transhipped to Shanghai port can also be barged to Nanjing for export, saving transportation costs for enterprises." Mr Wang calculated that, on average, each container could save about CNY1,000 ($149) in transport, customs declaration, inspection and other costs.