PIA Wins the Competition to run 4 Germany-Delhi Charter Flights with AN-124

The Hamburg subsidiary of the world leading logistics giant Panalpina has finally decided on Parchim International Airport to operate its 4 charter flights with AN-124 from Germany to India, after comparing Parchim airport, Leipzig Airport and Schoenefeld airport in Berlin on a comprehensive set of factors such as runway conditions, freighter apron, handling equipment, curfews, etc.

Feb. 25th-29th, 2009, 4 flights will carry 4 train carriages from Parchim airport to Delhi airport with a technical stop in Burgas airport in Bulgaria. The first will arrive at Parchim airport at 14:00 Feb. 24th local time and depart at 17:45 the next day. It will get to New Delhi at 15:00 Feb. 25th local time. After that, on 26^th-28th, one flight will be operated each day respectively, and the last one is scheduled to take off from Parchim airport late at night of 28th or on the early morning of 29th.

The series of flights are assumed by one aircraft, and therefore it is difficult to be always punctual. So Parchim airport's capability to run around the clock is the key to its win.

The "cargo" carried are train carriages owned by Bombardier from Goerlitz (the state of Sachsen). Each carriage is 22 meters long, 3.2 meters wide, 4 meters high and 42 tons heavy. One aircraft can hold only one carriage, and thus 4 flights are needed to carry 4 carriages.

While AN-124 parking in the apron, huge machines like cranes will be used to build a platform, through which the carriages will be loaded on board the aircraft. It will be a most exciting moment in the history of air transport of bulky cargo, going to attracting a lot of aviation fanciers and journalists. Bombardier plans to film a feature documentary to record the whole process: the carriages being transported from the factory to Parchim airport and stored there, the construction of the platform, and the carriages being loaded on board the aircraft.

According to the safety requirements of airports, visitors and journalists must apply before February 19, 2009. After security checks, they must change into the uniform warning vests prescribed by the German Civil Aviation Authority before entry into the freighter apron and witnessing the loading process within walking distance.

Feb 25-29, 2009, Panalpina, Bombardier and Parchim International Airport will jointly hold a press conference at Parchim International Airport. Leaders from the state of Merklenburg, the federal government of Germany and the Chinese Embassy in Germany will be invited to attend the event.

Parchim International Airport is located in Central Europe, in the middle of the Berlin-Hamburg express way, adjacent to the ports of Hamburg, Rostock, Wismar and Luebeck. It has outstanding logistics facilities. It is currently a logistics base comprehensive of air, sea, land and rail transportation at the same time. The favorable conditions will help it develop into a base for Sino-German business cooperation, functioning logistics, processing, exhibition, trade, culture, commerce, finance, etc. as a whole.