OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2012. AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Russia’s largest cargo carrier, has operated its first ever cross polar flight via North Pole en route from Chicago to Krasnoyarsk.

On board the 747-400 freighter was a very special passenger load - 175 Angus bred heifers, weighing 475-525 kg each. A total of 104 000 kg. The animals landed safe and sound at Krasnoyarsk airport, Emelyanovo from where they continued on their way to a local breeding farm.

This type of flight requires a high level of expertise from its crew as it differs enormously from a regular flight operation. Cross polar traffic is subject to zero wind conditions, satellite navigation system errors, radiation hazards and disrupted radio contact. Given all this AirBridgeCargo has chose one of its most experienced pilots for the operation, chief-pilot Oleg Trotsenko, who has participated into Cross Polar flights testing since 1997. “For each pilot opening and deployment of new air path is a challenge and we at AirBridgeCargo have an experienced team of highly skilled flight crew to support and encourage it.” – pointed out Oleg Trotsenko.

“Although cross polar flights are not entirely new, with passenger airlines operating them on a regular basis, they are still very much in a developmental stage. AirBridgeCargo sees the benefits provided by the cross polar flights for the growth of transit potential of our country. This route allows for savings in both time and fuel consumption and we do hope that it will be popular with our customers,” – says Tatyana Arslanova, AirBridgeCargo Executive President.