Air Charter Service deploys Boeing 747 freighter for complex wildlife relocation from Thailand to India
Air Charter Service (ACS) has successfully operated a Boeing 747 freighter charter to transport rescued zoo and circus animals from Bangkok, Thailand, to a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre in India, underscoring the specialist logistics capabilities required for sensitive live-animal movements.
The charter involved the relocation of a diverse group of animals, collectively weighing around 50 tonnes, including their enclosures, food supplies and accompanying veterinary personnel. According to ACS, the animals had been rescued from zoos, circuses and illegal trafficking networks and were being transferred to a sanctuary in Ahmedabad, which already houses thousands of animals under long-term care.
The shipment comprised a wide range of species, including zebras, sloths, wallabies, hawks, pacas and raccoons, each with specific handling, welfare and regulatory requirements. Throughout the flight, the animals were closely monitored by onboard veterinarians to ensure their wellbeing, while ACS coordinated the complex documentation and permitting process required for international transport of live animals.
Brendan Toomey, chief executive of ACS Singapore, said the operation required meticulous planning and close coordination across multiple stakeholders.
“We received a call from our client who was looking to transport a whole host of animals from Bangkok to Ahmedabad, to a sanctuary hosting thousands of similar animals – many rescued from circuses, zoos, or trafficking networks,” Toomey said.
“There was a wide range of different animals that needed to fly on the charter, including zebras, sloths, wallabies, hawks, pacas and raccoons, all of which needed to be monitored by onboard vets throughout the flight.”
Given the scale and complexity of the consignment, ACS selected a Boeing 747 freighter, whose payload capacity and main-deck volume were best suited to accommodating the animals and their specialised crates.
“The total weight of the animals, their enclosures, their food and the vets came to 50 tonnes, meaning a B747 was the best choice for the flight,” Toomey explained. “Initially, we worked closely with the Thai Civil Aviation Authority and the client to ensure all the correct export documentation was in place to secure the required permits, particularly as we were given less than two weeks’ notice to complete the operation.”
On the ground in Bangkok, an ACS representative from the company’s Singapore office coordinated closely with airport authorities and warehouse teams to prepare a dedicated loading area and specialised handling equipment, enabling the animals to be loaded safely and efficiently.
Following departure, the ACS representative remained on board the charter flight to oversee the operation and later supported the offloading process in India, ensuring a smooth handover before the animals were transported onward by road to their new permanent home.
The operation highlights ACS’s expertise in handling non-standard and humanitarian cargo, combining charter aviation, regulatory compliance and animal welfare considerations to deliver time-critical and highly sensitive logistics solutions.
