Atlas Air gives ‘satisfaction’ as Rolling Stones rock Cuba

by Payload Asia

Atlas Air, a unit of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. played a behind-the-scenes role in a bit of geo-political rock and roll history on 19 March when they provided essential cargo lift to help The Rolling Stones perform in Havana, Cuba. An Atlas B747-400 freighter carried 97 tonnes of staging and musical equipment from Mexico City to Havana, with a stop at Miami International Airport.

It was the first commercial charter operation of its kind by a US-based carrier. “With our global reach and flexible scale, our customers depend on Atlas Air for reliable service anywhere in the world, ” said Michael Steen, executive VP and COO, Atlas Air Worldwide. “As the first US freighter operator chosen to operate into Cuba, we were delighted to support this one-of-a-kind event.”

People load luggage from a Miami charter flight onto a car at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana August 30, 2014. Cuba has raised duties and restricted imports on consumer goods brought in by air travelers or sent by mail, imposing greater hardship for a fledgling private sector and angering people looking to counter chronic shortages. The new restrictions, which began on Monday, take aim at black market dealers of goods that are hard to find on store shelves or come with steep excise taxes, while protecting the state monopoly on selling imported goods. They also burden Cubans who run small businesses like restaurants and beauty parlors and depend on travelers carrying suitcases full of goods into the country. Picture taken August 30, 2014. REUTERS/Enrique De La Osa (CUBA - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTR44JEJ

The Rolling Stones performed a free concert in Havana on 25 March – the first open-air performance in the country by a British rock band. Including shipment by sea, the concert requires 61 containers with an estimated 500 tonnes of equipment, including everything needed to produce the outdoor show.

Although the first such charter to Cuba, Atlas Air has flown equipment around the world to help keep some of the biggest names in music humming. Because of the unusual destination, there were special visa, permitting and operational challenges to work through in order to ensure a successful mission.

Concert producers and big-name acts rely on Atlas Air for scheduling flexibility and its fleet of B747-400 and Boeing 747-8 Freighters, which feature both nose-loading and side-doorloading options to accommodate outsized, unusual or sensitive cargo.

“Working with partners in the concert industry, we’re able to provide a full-scale solution to fly tons of equipment anywhere, from one-off missions for The Rolling Stones to global tours, ” Steen said. “When there’s a lot at stake, our customers rely on Atlas Air for routine shipments or one-of-a-kind charters, like this one to Cuba, that require detailed planning and execution.”