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Large-Scale Charter Shipment from India
Finally, we can share the story of a completed large-scale and extremely urgent shipment of equipment from India.
This was not our first charter, but in terms of the number of challenges that arose at literally every stage, this case definitely takes first place and will remain the most memorable one!
This was not our first charter, but in terms of the number of challenges that arose at literally every stage, this case definitely takes first place and will remain the most memorable one!
The task was to transport oversized equipment from India to Russia within a very tight timeframe.
We proposed the most efficient option in terms of both speed and cost — to transport the maximum possible volume on a charter flight and send the remaining part on a scheduled service.
The challenge was that the cargo had to be shipped from two different airports — Chennai and Mumbai. The entire shipment was first delivered to Chennai Airport, where customs clearance was completed. After that, part of the cargo departed for Russia on the charter flight, while the remaining part was transported to Mumbai for departure three days later.
The challenge was that the cargo had to be shipped from two different airports — Chennai and Mumbai. The entire shipment was first delivered to Chennai Airport, where customs clearance was completed. After that, part of the cargo departed for Russia on the charter flight, while the remaining part was transported to Mumbai for departure three days later.
From the outside, organizing a charter flight may seem simple: book an aircraft with an airline and proceed as usual. In reality, there are always many details that need to be taken into account, and any emergency situation can become extremely costly — sometimes even paid for with a few grey hairs.
The first challenge was the exporter’s registration in ICEGATE, which turned out to be more difficult than expected. The system kept generating one error after another. At the same time, there were major public holidays in India, so it was difficult to resolve the issue quickly. For comparison, ICEGATE is somewhat similar to a government online services portal.
At the same time, another challenge appeared: we learned that cargo trucks in India are allowed to move only at night. The days we had planned with a comfortable time reserve suddenly became very tight. We monitored the shipment throughout the entire route and stayed in constant contact with the drivers so that we could react immediately in case of any emergency. We were ready for anything! Despite the extremely tight timeframe, we still managed to complete this stage in just 2.5 days.
But at that point, we had no idea what was still waiting for us...
The first challenge was the exporter’s registration in ICEGATE, which turned out to be more difficult than expected. The system kept generating one error after another. At the same time, there were major public holidays in India, so it was difficult to resolve the issue quickly. For comparison, ICEGATE is somewhat similar to a government online services portal.
At the same time, another challenge appeared: we learned that cargo trucks in India are allowed to move only at night. The days we had planned with a comfortable time reserve suddenly became very tight. We monitored the shipment throughout the entire route and stayed in constant contact with the drivers so that we could react immediately in case of any emergency. We were ready for anything! Despite the extremely tight timeframe, we still managed to complete this stage in just 2.5 days.
But at that point, we had no idea what was still waiting for us...
Another challenge to add to the list was the lengthy process of approving the cargo securing arrangement inside the aircraft — specifically, preparing the lashing points at the factory before loading.
All approvals were coordinated with Volga-Dnepr Airlines. We are endlessly grateful to our colleagues, especially the operations team and Viktor Samarin, for their comprehensive support and assistance in organizing the charter flight. We truly could not have managed without you and highly value our cooperation!
All approvals were coordinated with Volga-Dnepr Airlines. We are endlessly grateful to our colleagues, especially the operations team and Viktor Samarin, for their comprehensive support and assistance in organizing the charter flight. We truly could not have managed without you and highly value our cooperation!
The next obstacle was export customs clearance. Normally, export clearance in India is completed fairly quickly, but in our case it seemed to take forever, with checks, inspections, and additional examinations.
During that time, our aircraft departed for the designated location, arrived, completed its rest period, remained in the waiting area, and eventually entered downtime — and of course, that could not continue indefinitely.
Then came the moment when the airline informed us that the aircraft had to depart within two hours — with or without the cargo. Without going into every detail, we managed to resolve the customs clearance issue and the cargo was released.
And then we caught another stroke of “luck” — a severe downpour started and… the forklift broke down!
During that time, our aircraft departed for the designated location, arrived, completed its rest period, remained in the waiting area, and eventually entered downtime — and of course, that could not continue indefinitely.
Then came the moment when the airline informed us that the aircraft had to depart within two hours — with or without the cargo. Without going into every detail, we managed to resolve the customs clearance issue and the cargo was released.
And then we caught another stroke of “luck” — a severe downpour started and… the forklift broke down!
What’s so special about that, you might ask? The thing is, the loader was a special one designed for oversized cargo, with a capacity of 10 tons. Usually, an airport has only one or two such loaders, so finding a replacement is extremely difficult.
But we found a way out. We started loading the cargo using the aircraft’s built-in hoisting equipment. The downside was that this method took several times longer. At the same time, the airline’s agent was searching for another loader — and managed to find one a few hours later. The remaining half of the cargo was loaded using the replacement equipment. Incidentally, during unloading at Moscow Cargo, the loader broke down there as well.
The aircraft technician also dislocated his shoulder. He was taken to hospital, received first aid, and safely returned to Russia. Fortunately, he is doing well.
After that, the first part of the cargo finally departed, and we could breathe a little easier. But there was still the second part. Once the first shipment left Chennai, the remaining cargo was transported to Mumbai Airport accompanied by our agents.
It is worth mentioning that our agents accompanied the cargo from the factory, supervised it at the airport, assisted with export customs clearance, and monitored the loading onto the aircraft.
The second shipment did not go quite as smoothly as we had hoped, although there were far fewer difficulties. The aircraft experienced some minor technical issues, which the airline successfully resolved, and the flight departed.
From that point on, everything went smoothly — apart, of course, from the broken loader at Moscow Cargo. After the cargo was released in Moscow, one of our colleagues even went to the site personally to supervise the loading into the truck and check the condition of the cargo.
In the end, the entire shipment was delivered within the agreed timeframe, safe and sound, and handed over to the consignee with care.
Our team spent countless hours on joint calls with all parties involved, coordinating every stage and every small detail. Thanks to well-coordinated teamwork, we were able to overcome all the challenges and complete the shipment on time.
We would also like to emphasize that our goal here is simply to show how complex charter organization can be and how, in this particular case, we seemed to hit the jackpot with almost every possible obstacle along the way — while sharing an interesting story with you.
The upside is that our expertise has grown even further, and we are always ready to put that experience to work for you.
Logistics is complex — but incredibly exciting. You never know what the next shipment will bring.
But we found a way out. We started loading the cargo using the aircraft’s built-in hoisting equipment. The downside was that this method took several times longer. At the same time, the airline’s agent was searching for another loader — and managed to find one a few hours later. The remaining half of the cargo was loaded using the replacement equipment. Incidentally, during unloading at Moscow Cargo, the loader broke down there as well.
The aircraft technician also dislocated his shoulder. He was taken to hospital, received first aid, and safely returned to Russia. Fortunately, he is doing well.
After that, the first part of the cargo finally departed, and we could breathe a little easier. But there was still the second part. Once the first shipment left Chennai, the remaining cargo was transported to Mumbai Airport accompanied by our agents.
It is worth mentioning that our agents accompanied the cargo from the factory, supervised it at the airport, assisted with export customs clearance, and monitored the loading onto the aircraft.
The second shipment did not go quite as smoothly as we had hoped, although there were far fewer difficulties. The aircraft experienced some minor technical issues, which the airline successfully resolved, and the flight departed.
From that point on, everything went smoothly — apart, of course, from the broken loader at Moscow Cargo. After the cargo was released in Moscow, one of our colleagues even went to the site personally to supervise the loading into the truck and check the condition of the cargo.
In the end, the entire shipment was delivered within the agreed timeframe, safe and sound, and handed over to the consignee with care.
Our team spent countless hours on joint calls with all parties involved, coordinating every stage and every small detail. Thanks to well-coordinated teamwork, we were able to overcome all the challenges and complete the shipment on time.
We would also like to emphasize that our goal here is simply to show how complex charter organization can be and how, in this particular case, we seemed to hit the jackpot with almost every possible obstacle along the way — while sharing an interesting story with you.
The upside is that our expertise has grown even further, and we are always ready to put that experience to work for you.
Logistics is complex — but incredibly exciting. You never know what the next shipment will bring.
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sales@alfa-aviation.ru
sales@alfa-aviation.ru