Airfreight is a critical part of the National Freight Distribution System in Australia. Over the Christmas period there is always higher than normal freight due to the holiday season. This last year was no different in that respect but was more challenged because there were less planes available and less ground crews available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the Aviation sector generally.
Oceania Aviation was asked to stand up and help with freight operations through this busy period and our teams in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane stood up to support this critical infrastructure. In late November, we mobilised crews from these locations to have them trained and signed off in special freighter operations for Qantas Freight and before long were operating two Boeing 737 Freighters per night in Melbourne and Brisbane to take care of the overburden of holiday season freight that had to be moved between, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and Perth. Our crews worked tirelessly through the back of clock hours to ensure the sensitive freight and Christmas packages we distributed around the country as required.
Then at the start of December we added in two A330 aircraft per day into the Melbourne rotation and had staff loading these larger widebody aircraft with massive amounts of freight in the early hours of the morning before the airport RPT services began. It was hard work, and so many containers and packages it was quite overwhelming the amount of freight that these aircraft can move. Once again, our staff stood up to this challenge and did a truly remarkable job. It is very different from Passenger aircraft but equally as satisfying to see a full loaded aircraft depart safely and compliantly.
Oceania is now perusing other freighter opportunities and see this as an emerging part of our business for 2023.
