HLPFI reviews the finalists for the 2026 Airfreight Solution of the Year award, sponsored by UTC Overseas.
This award will be presented for an outstanding project cargo shipment that has been executed by air in the last 12 months.
Our 2026 shortlist includes:
Air Charter Service (ACS)
ACS claimed a spot on the 2026 shortlist after chartering four Antonov AN-124 aircraft from Liège, Belgium to Cairo, Egypt, carrying crane loading arms that were urgently needed in Egypt. ACS also secured road transit permits for the oversize pieces – weighing 43.6 tonnes and measuring 18.75 m long – specialist screening and ramp access for engineers, as well as external cranes in both Belgium and Egypt.
Chapman Freeborn
Chapman Freeborn’s entry focused on moving more than 1,000 tonnes of coils from Liège to Atlanta and Nashville in the USA. The project required 17 full- and part-charter flights between December 2025 and April 2026, using five airline partners.
To execute the shipment, Chapman Freeborn had to overcome uncertain cargo readiness dates, changing shipment details, peak-season pressure, limited main deck freighter capacity following the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 grounding and strict budget requirements.
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deugro delivered four ball valves by three consecutive air charter flights to a project site in the UAE. Its scope of work covered the complete multimodal, door to door transportation of the valves – utilising various aircraft types and specialised truck and trailer configurations – from the production facility in Scotland to the project site in Abu Dhabi, all executed within the shortest achievable transit time.
The winner of this year’s Airfreight Solution of the Year award will be announced at the Heavy Lift Awards 2026 ceremony on October 21 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. To join the celebrations, book your place today.
