Air Partner, a Wheels Up company, has successfully completed the urgent transportation of a vital industrial valve from Rome Fiumicino to the Middle East, preventing a major operational halt at a regional oil refinery.
Weighing over 20 tonnes and standing more than 3 meters tall, the oversized valve posed significant logistical challenges. The Air Partner cargo team, in collaboration with Gruber Logistics Italy and Alha Group, executed a round-the-clock operation to ensure the time-sensitive shipment reached its destination without delay.
The mission employed an Antonov Airlines AN-124-100 aircraft, one of the few capable of carrying such heavy and outsized cargo. Due to the valve’s dimensions and weight, the loading process required an external ramp, a crane, and custom metal framing. Additional welding and shackling work was undertaken to ensure the cargo could be safely secured within the aircraft.
Eliska Hill, SVP Cargo – UK & ROW at Air Partner, said: “With fast-paced operations in industries such as energy, delays are simply not an option. This particular delivery required specialist planning to ensure the oversized equipment was delivered with care and on time.”
Eugene Kiva, Commercial Executive at Antonov Airlines, added: “This unit required our special ramp system and external cranes, as well as extra shackles welded by the shipper for safe lashing inside the aircraft to withstand the forces of flight.”
The successful execution of this complex, time-critical operation further underscores Air Partner’s expertise in handling urgent, heavy-lift logistics for the energy and industrial sectors.