Chapman Freeborn Airchartering has completed a cargo charter from Nantes in France to New Orleans, US, to deliver seven skimmer boats to help tackle the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The aircraft charter specialist arranged the flight of an Antonov AN-124 to urgently transport four 35-foot and three 21-foot vessels from Nantes (NTE) in France to New Orleans (MSY).

The AN-124 charter is just the latest in a series of flights Chapman Freeborn has completed to help contain the leak from the site of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company’s Singapore office has overseen eight separate cargo charters on B747-200F and B747-400F aircraft to transport over 450 tonnes of rubber booms and other oil spill equipment from the Far East to New Orleans (MSY) and Houston (IAH).