Air Partner, a Wheels Up company, provided an air cargo charter to deliver a 35-metre whale shark art sculpture named Al Nehem, to Qatar ahead of the FIFA World Cup on behalf of Air Partner’s customer Production Freight Ltd.
The sculpture due to size, was transported as six large pieces consisting of the main steel framework, with lengths up to 12 metres long, with additional smaller pieces also loaded. The dismantled sculpture was transported to East Midlands Airport in 12 trucks. The trucks were driven directly to the cargo ramp to facilitate the build-up and loading of this oversized shipment by two maindeck loaders through the nose of a Boeing 747 freighter.
Andrew Powers, Head of Business Development at Air Partner, said: “I have loaded awkwardly shaped and large cargo onto 747s many times in the past, however the loading of this whale shark structure was a unique operation, especially given its high profile. With the excellent support of our customer, detailed schematics and photo’s of the deconstructed sculpture were available, enabling clear pre-planning for this technically challenging operation”.
Following the successful loading, the whale shark sculpture was flown to Doha to be transferred to its destination suspended above the Lusail Plaza. As Qatar is home to one of the largest whale shark pods in the world, the sculpture is designed to symbolise the country’s commitment to the conservation and preservation of their natural environment.