Cargo Charter to a Remote or Unpaved Airstrip: Aircraft, Loading and Handling
Mines, oil and gas camps, construction sites and remote communities often depend on air freight for urgent parts, supplies and equipment. The airstrips that serve them are usually short, sometimes unpaved, and often have no cargo handling equipment at all.
That changes how a charter is planned. The first question is not the price or even the aircraft. It is the airstrip.
Start with the airstrip
Before an operator can quote, it needs:
Runway length and whether there are obstacles at either end
Surface: paved, gravel, laterite, grass or sand
Elevation and typical temperatures, because heat and altitude reduce the weight an aircraft can take off with
Whether the strip is approved or registered with the local aviation authority
Parking space for the aircraft to turn and unload
A recent photo and a survey report, if one exists, save a lot of time.
Which aircraft can use it
Roughly, from smallest to largest:
Single engine turboprops such as the Cessna Caravan and Pilatus PC-12: very short and rough strips, around one to one and a half tonnes of cargo
Twin turboprops such as the older Dash 8 models, the ATR 72 freighter and similar types: short strips, several tonnes, some suited to gravel
Specialist rough field freighters: aircraft designed for unprepared strips, carrying larger loads
Jets: almost always need longer, paved runways
Our small cargo plane charter page lists typical payloads by aircraft.
Payload drops on short, hot and high strips
A short runway limits take off weight. So do high temperatures and high elevation. An aircraft that carries five tonnes from a sea level airport may carry much less from a short strip at altitude on a hot afternoon. Ask the operator for the payload from your specific strip, not the brochure figure.
Unpaved surfaces often have their own limits as well, and some aircraft need modifications (such as gravel kits) before they can use them.
Loading without airport equipment
Remote strips rarely have forklifts, loaders or pallet dollies. Plan for how the cargo gets on and off:
Size and weight of the heaviest piece: it must fit through the aircraft door and be moved by hand or with equipment you provide
Loose load versus pallets: loose cargo can be loaded by hand; pallets need equipment
Equipment at site: a forklift or telehandler at the mine or camp can solve most problems
Aircraft with built-in loading aids: some freighters carry rollers or ramps
Tell the operator what equipment is available at both ends.
Fuel
If there is no fuel at the strip, the aircraft must carry enough for the return flight. That extra fuel weight comes straight out of the payload. Some operations position fuel drums in advance to solve this. Ask whether fuel is available, of what grade, and who supplies it.
Permits and safety
Remote strips often need specific approvals from the aviation authority, and the operator may require a site inspection before the first flight. Mining and energy companies usually also require their aviation contractors to meet their own safety standards. See our guide to crew rotation aircraft for mining and energy for more on those requirements.
What to send for a quote
Airstrip details: length, surface, elevation, coordinates, photos
Cargo: pieces, dimensions, weights, any dangerous goods
Loading equipment available at each end
Fuel availability at the strip
Dates and whether this is a single flight or a regular service
Getting started
Jetvice arranges cargo charters to remote sites with operators that fly the right aircraft for the strip. Email your details to info@jetvice.net, or see our air cargo page.
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