Compass maps out helicopter airlift to Afghanistan

Aerospace logistics specialist Compass Forwarding has airlifted a medium-sized utility helicopter from Canada to Afghanistan in support of a time-sensitive project.
The Bell 212 Twin Huey helicopter was flown from Alberta in a Boeing 747-8 freighter, arriving in Afghanistan two days ahead of schedule.
New York-based Compass fielded a dedicated 24/7 aerospace support team to coordinate every step of the operation from palletisation and pickup through to delivery in cooperation with the exporter and aircraft owner.
This included ensuring compliance with export control regulations in three countries. The team also provided daily briefings to all stakeholders in the shipment.
“Shipping aircraft is an important part of the 60 plus year history of our family business,” said Robert Shelala, Compass’ associate director for aviation and defense, adding: “The fact that our team was able to deliver this ahead of schedule to a conflict zone is a testament not only to the team’s skills and experience but to our global capabilities.”
Compass Forwarding is a family-owned  aerospace freight forwarding company founded by Joseph Shelala, who used his skills developed in the US Army Air Forces to package and export Piper training planes around the world following World War II.
Since then, the company has provided supply chain management and specialty logistics services – including AOG support – to over a dozen international airlines and to many of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers.