Antonov Airlines transported essential pharmaceutical machinery from Germany to the US, where it will be used for the production of COVID-19 vaccines.
The carrier operated six flights from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport to the US – including Baltimore, Maryland, and Kinston Regional Jetport, North Carolina – with some flights having to navigate poor weather conditions in the US caused by snowstorms.
Heavy snowfall meant a change in arrival airport for one of the flights, from Baltimore to Stewart International Airport, New York.
Antonov Airlines used AN-124 freighters, each with a payload of 150 tonnes, to carry the machinery, with each consignment weighing 100 tonnes.
DHL Global Forwarding chartered the Ukrainian-headquartered carrier to undertake the moves.
“The flights were a great charter project that we carried out together with Antonov Airlines professionally and to the fullest customer satisfaction,” said Christopher Klein, Senior Manager Global Charters, DHL Global Forwarding.
Dmytro Prosvirin, Head of Customer Service Department, Antonov Airlines, said: “It is a global effort in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and we are honoured that Antonov Airlines played a key role in this.”
