A310F completes maiden trans-Atlantic journey

The eagerly-awaited racing season is here in full swing, and Emirates SkyCargo is busy sprinting horses from across the seven seas. The latest airfreight transfer involved eight proud thoroughbreds on a charter flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Dubai last week, well in time to thrill race-goers at the richest horseracing event ' the Dubai World Cup. The magnificent and fastidious creatures arrived well-rested in their air stables, which are specially manufactured horse stalls on pallets, each designed to carry three horses. The air stables are roomier, allow better movement, and are more comfortable than conventional stalls. The horses were accompanied by a stable of 11 grooms, all comfortably traveling on one of Emirates SkyCargo's fully-owned Airbus A310-300F freighters.

With this journey, the cargo division's A310F also completed its first maiden voyage across the Atlantic from Dubai. Each of the three wide-bodied A310Fs in its fleet, emblazoned with the red and gold Emirates SkyCargo logo, has a gross payload of 39 tons and the capacity to carry 21 horses using air stables. Eight of the 11 grooms were comfortably accommodated on the seat pallet ' marking the inauguration of this capability. The design and safety aspects of the air stables and seat pallets have been fully certified by all relevant authorities.

The trans-Atlantic journey was made possible by the specially fitted Auxiliary Centre Tanks that increase the range of the aircraft, enabling one-stop operations from Dubai to far flung countries worldwide.

Throughout the journey, care was taken to ensure that the animals were stress-free, safe, provided ample food and water on time, and kept in hygienic conditions. The aircraft made a short refueling stopover in Stansted Airport, UK.

Emirates SkyCargo's expertise in handling highly-prized horses is renowned among racing circles as it regularly transports the animals around the world with its fleet of dedicated freighters, which also includes six Boeing 747s.

The eight horses that made the journey from Fort Lauderdale include: Magna Graduate, Brass Hat, Relaxed Gesture, Invasor, Mustanfar, Host, Dominguin, and Gaff.