In the latest news from the Air Cargo Europe trade show being held in Munich, Germany, this week (June 2-5 ), Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) has announced a new partnership with equine transport specialist ECS Livestock.
The deal will see the Netherlands’ second-largest air cargo hub become the “preferred airport for horse transport” in the country, it said.
According to the terms of the deal, which is effective immediately, ECS Livestock will move horses through the airport’s AnimalPort Netherlands, an airside facility fully equipped to handle the safe and animal-friendly transportation of horses.
Dean Boljuncic, head of commercial development at MST, said: “Handling horses is an international mark of quality for our airport.
“If you can handle live animals safely and efficiently, it proves the high standards of your cargo operations.”
He went on: “Alongside pharma and chilled goods, live animals are delicate cargo that require careful handling.
“Thanks to the extensive experience and expertise of our cargo team, this is something we can deliver at MST.”
The AnimalPort Netherlands facility can accommodate between 26 and 32 horses and features a flexible floor system that gives good grip for animals.
Last year, the facility was freshly equipped with amenities such as a dressing room, hygiene lock and washing stations.
There will be follow-on benefits for other airport cargo stakeholders resulting from this deal.
“A cargo aircraft rarely transports only horses,” Boljuncic pointed out.
“Airlines often combine horse shipments with other freight and this will create new routes from MST, which will benefit the local cargo community.
“The more routes we have, the more opportunities to ship our clients’ cargo worldwide via MST and several airlines have already expressed interest in using MST for horse transport.”
Specialist in horse transport
ECS Livestock has over 23 years of experience in the air transport of horses and, according to chief executive Edwin Hofstede: “AnimalPort Netherlands at MST is a modern and animal-friendly facility with ample capacity for handling live animals, particularly horses.”
“Together with the airport, we are exploring the possibility of further expanding the capacity by reconfiguring the layout, to improve flexibility and optimise the use of the AnimalPort in the future.”
This deal is further good news for MST; just yesterday (June 2), Air Cargo News reported that the current Emirates SkyCargo weekly freighter service connecting Dubai World Central (DWC) airport, MST and Zaragoza Airport in Spain will now also stop in Beirut, Lebanon, before its return to Dubai.
General cargo and pharmaceuticals are expected to make up much of the airfreight flown into Beirut on the service out of Maastricht Aachen.
