AirBridgeCargo (ABC) Airlines, Russia’s largest cargo carrier, has
operated its first ever cross-polar flight via the North Pole en route from Chicago to Krasnoyarsk. Onboard the B747-400 freighter was a cargo of 175 Angus bred heifers, weighing а total of 104,000 kilos.

The animals landed safe and sound at Krasnoyarsk’s Emelyanovo Airport from where they were transported to a local breeding farm, according to ABC.

“AirBridgeCargo sees the benefits provided by cross-polar flights for the growth of the transit potential of our country. This route allows for savings in both time and fuel consumption and we do hope that it will be popular with our customers,” said Tatyana Arslanova, AirBridgeCargo Airlines’ executive president.

According to the carrier, a cross-polar flight has additional challenges beyond that of a regular flight operation due to zero wind conditions, risk of satellite navigation system errors, radiation
hazards and disrupted radio contact.

Given these challenges, ABC said it chose one of its most experienced pilots for the operation, Chief Pilot Oleg Trotsenko, who has participated in cross-polar flight tests since 1997.