In a disrupted market, the ability to act quickly is important. The ability to act correctly is what sets a logistics partner apart. During the ongoing GCC supply chain challenges, ISS Global Forwarding delivered two air charter operations for heavy, time-sensitive, and operationally complex cargo, requiring technical planning, specialized handling arrangements, and execution across multiple countries.

The operation was successfully delivered

The first operation was undertaken for a leading organisation in Oman’s energy sector, requiring the movement of 100 tons of cable reels from China to Muscat. Beyond securing air freight capacity, the customer required technical guidance on the optimal cargo combination for the aircraft. Under the leadership of Mr. Dexter Fonseca, Global Head of Air Freight, the air freight teams in China and Oman developed a final load plan comprising 8 cable reels of 8 tons each and 10 cable reels of 3.5 tons each.

The operation was successfully delivered

The cargo was trucked from Shanghai Pudong to Nanjing, before being uplifted on a full B747F charter from Nanjing to Muscat, carrying 18 pieces with a total weight of 95.8 tons. To ensure the charter flight permit was secured within the customer’s deadline, the team mitigated risk by selecting an operator that had operated multiple flights into China within the previous two weeks.

The operation was successfully delivered

On the ground, the China team, led by Mr. George Zhou, Air Freight Assistant Manager – China, personally monitored the operation and worked closely with the airport handler, customs authorities, and the operator to manage documentation, permit coordination, and cargo build-up Wooden beams were also arranged to safely distribute the load across the airline ULDs. At destination, the shipment was successfully completed through close coordination with the Oman team, led by Mr. Krishna Prasad, Freight Forwarding Manager – Oman.

The second operation involved a project consignment for a major industrial customer in Qatar, requiring the movement of 15-metre pipes from Spain to Qatar.

Reflecting on the operation, Mr. Dexter Fonseca, Global Head of Air Freight, said, “At the time, our direct-flight options were very limited. Qatar Airways was the only carrier who could operate with freighters due to airspace restrictions for foreign airlines but their aircraft could not accept the cargo. So, we had to think differently. Together with our teams in Qatar, Spain, and the UAE, we built a multimodal solution that combined trucking from the shipper to Amsterdam covering 1,500 kms, uplift on a part-charter B747F freighter from our partner airline Emirates, with nose-door capability into Dubai World Central, and onward trucking from the UAE to Qatar. It may sound like the solution was already there when I explain it now, but in reality, it took a lot of technical assessment, coordination, and ownership from everyone involved to make sure the shipment moved safely and on time. I am very proud of the teams who rose to the occasion and made this solution a success.”

The shipment consisted of 6 pieces weighing 22.4 tons. To ensure safe loading and off-loading, the team arranged a crane directly on the ramp at both Amsterdam and Dubai Worls Central airports, together with the necessary security clearances.

The operation was successfully delivered

The operation was successfully delivered through the coordinated efforts of Mr. Glen Fernando, Sales Manager – Qatar; Mr. Iker Loizaga, IP Projects Manager – Spain; Mr. Abdul Aleem, Air Freight Manager – UAE; and Mr. Clinton Velho, Head of Road Freight – UAE, along with the support of ISS GF’s partner at Amsterdam Airport.

In a market marked by disruption, this is how ISS GF creates value – not only by finding capacity, but by engineering practical solutions when conventional options are limited. These successful charters reinforce ISS GF’s position as a responsive, technically capable, and reliable logistics partner for complex and time-critical cargo movements