Global air charter specialist Chapman Freeborn, which is part of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI provider, has successfully executed a series of urgent shipments of specialised automotive material from China to Europe as part of an ongoing partnership. Transporting these parts requires a level of specialisation and familiarity with the materials and relevant customs procedures, but also a strong local network and team dedication.
Chapman Freeborn’s teams in China and Poland are collaborating on this project, which involves forwarding automotive parts, including products crucial to enhancing vehicle performance. So far, they have executed 26 shipments, with total volume shipped exceeding 60 tonnes across 95 pallets. The deliveries, made using a combination of 747F and passenger belly capacity, were initially routed from Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (TAO) to Poland, before expanding to flights from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).
These shipments have required specialist knowledge and adaptable problem-solving skills from the Chapman Freeborn team, says Joyce Di, Cargo Manager China at Chapman Freeborn. “Due to the dual-use nature of the materials being transported, China imposes relatively strict scrutiny and export controls on them. Shipping such materials out of China requires documentation such as export licenses for dual-use items, an MPI report, and an MSDS report, along with familiarity with the related procedures. Our experience in this field and our engagement with qualified partners ensured smooth customs clearance for these goods.
Alongside complex customs procedures, an additional challenge with the first batch was an extremely tight timeframe, with the client requiring delivery on the next available flight. “The client’s request coincided with China’s three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, during which customs, airlines, and customs clearance companies were on holiday and responded slowly. To meet the client's urgent deadline, our team worked overtime online, responding immediately and coordinating resources to quickly offer multiple options for departure from Qingdao on the day the request was received,” says Joyce.
After multiple rounds of material, process, and proposal confirmation, the Chapman Freeborn team swiftly completed booking, pickup, and other procedures during the holiday, ensuring that the goods were shipped out immediately after the holiday. This first successful delivery led to the client choosing to set up an ongoing collaboration with Chapman Freeborn, which has now encompassed 26 deliveries and is still in progress.
Due to the limited capacity and relatively high costs at Qingdao for flights to the target destination, the Chapman Freeborn team also explored other ports with export qualifications for subsequent shipments with less stringent time requirements. “We ran a small test shipment to validate clearance speed and viability,” says Joyce. “The test shipment met the client’s speed and compliance requirements. For subsequent batches of goods with less stringent time requirements and higher demands for cost- cost-effectiveness, we arranged for them to be shipped via Yantai port and PEK.” This initiative offered customers shipping methods that met their time requirements and were more cost-effective, helping them save on logistics costs.
With more than 50 years of experience and extensive global coverage, Chapman Freeborn provides air cargo charter services for major corporations, governments, NGOs, relief agencies, and high-net-worth individuals. The company is part of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider, operating a fleet of 209 aircraft worldwide and the parent company of over 250 subsidiaries. The group offers a wide range of aviation solutions, including MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul), pilot and crew training, ground handling, and other related aviation services. Supported by 14,000 highly skilled aviation professionals, the group operates across 6 continents.
