When You Need a Heavy Freighter
-
Large volume on a long haul route. Intercontinental moves where a smaller freighter would need several flights or fuel stops.
-
Heavy or oversized pieces. Machinery, generators, turbines, vehicles and oil and gas equipment that need a main deck door, a strong floor or nose loading.
-
Project cargo. Mining, energy and construction equipment going to sites with little or no regular freighter service.
-
Humanitarian airlift. Large relief consignments where one heavy flight replaces several smaller ones.
-
Livestock. Large animal moves need the volume, stalls and range of a heavy freighter.
Heavy Freighter Types
Aircraft | Approx. max payload | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Boeing 767-300 freighter | around 50 to 52 tonnes | Entry point for widebody charter |
Airbus A330 converted freighter | around 60 tonnes | Efficient medium to long haul widebody |
Boeing 777 freighter | around 100 tonnes | Long range with high payload |
Boeing 747-400 freighter | around 110 to 120 tonnes | Nose door on factory freighters, main deck outsize capability |
Boeing 747-8 freighter | around 130 tonnes | The largest payload of the Boeing freighters |
Outsize specialist aircraft | 100 tonnes and more | For single pieces too large for any 747 |
For heavy and outsize cargo, piece dimensions and floor loading decide the aircraft before total weight does. The 747 factory freighter's nose door takes long pieces that cannot go through a side door, and truly outsize loads need a specialist aircraft. Send us the piece dimensions and weights and we will work back to the aircraft that can take them.
Under 40 tonnes? A narrowbody freighter is usually the more economical option.
Planning a Heavy Charter Heavy charters take more preparation:
aircraft positioning, landing and overflight permits, main deck loading equipment at both ends, and sometimes a technical stop for fuel. Cost is driven as much by where the aircraft has to come from, and whether it flies home empty, as by the flight itself. Where there is return cargo, or flexibility on dates to catch an aircraft positioning nearby, the price can come down considerably.
Example Long haul livestock.
-
Assessing heavy freighter options for a large volume livestock move between South America and Central Asia, where positioning, stalls, range and the empty return leg all had to be weighed against the value of the cargo.