About Uzbekistan Airways

 

Uzbekistan Airways is a flag carrier of Uzbekistan and one of the largest airlines in Central Asia. The airline operates domestic and international flights using a fleet of aircraft made up of Boeing and Airbus planes. Operating aircraft to global destinations comes with its own unique maintenance and logistics challenges. This requires Uzbekistan Airways to seek the services of experts experienced in aerospace logistics, with a global network and resources to move high-value aircraft parts to various destinations as required.

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Background & Challenge

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What happened? Uzbekistan Airways B787 passenger aircraft was grounded in Turkey’s Trabzon airport due to a technical problem with one of its GEnx engines.

What was at stake? AOG (Aircraft on Ground) events have a major disrupting effect on airline operations. Grounded aircraft mean flight cancellations, rescheduling, lost revenue, and logistics and maintenance costs. When large aircraft such as B777 are grounded, costs can run up to $150,000 per hour.

Challenges. Uzbekistan Airways faced a unique challenge because there was no direct air connection between Tashkent and Trabzon, let alone the main deck capacity. Even if a charter flight was arranged, the destination airport lacked suitable equipment to unload the engine upon arrival.

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Strategy & Execution

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As soon as we received an AOG inquiry from Uzbekistan Airways, our AOG teams scrambled to find a suitable solution. While HY would have preferred air freight from Tashkent to Istanbul and then trucking to Trabzon, the CargoPoint team suggested a direct charter option because a road trip of over 1000km would not be the best way to transport a sensitive aircraft engine worth millions of dollars. We chartered a B777F cargo aircraft with our strategic partner - Turkish Airlines and uplifted the engine from Tashkent to Trabzon. In Turkey, specialist equipment was hauled all the way from Istanbul to Trabzon before the charter flight carrying the engine landed at the destination airport.

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Results & Conclusion

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The engine was delivered to Trabzon airport safely and shortly after the arrival, the teams from Uzbekistan Airways Technics and Turkish Technic could start work on the next step - installation and testing of the engine on the grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliner. From inquiry to delivery, it took CargoPoint less than 72 hours to safely execute the entire operation.

This project showcases the value of working with experienced aerospace forwarders, especially knowing the risks associated with delivering high-value aircraft parts over long distances at speed. Partnering with specialist logisticians with vertical know-how, airlines can minimize unplanned maintenance/ground time and improve their financial performance. If you want to enhance your AOG response or wish to consult with aerospace logistics experts, consider contacting CargoPoint today.