Air Partner, the global aviation services group, today announced that it will be launching a ‘Rio Express’ freight service that will operate before and after the Olympic Games this summer. In the run-up to the Games, Air Partner will have exclusive freight availability on a weekly Sunday flight from Frankfurt to Rio de Janeiro, starting on 10 July and ending on 24 July. The return flights will operate on 25, 26 and 27 August. The service is offered to clients worldwide and can be booked through any Air Partner office.

The outbound flights will depart from Frankfurt Airport and arrive at Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport on MD11F aircraft. Air Partner’s ‘Rio Express’ is one of only a few scheduled European freight operators flying to Galeão; many other freighters fly into Viracopos International Airport, which is about three hours further away from the Olympic venues by truck.

All cargo will be transported in containers to enable faster handling on arrival so the shipments can be offloaded and driven to the Olympic venues as quickly as possible. The flights will also arrive first thing on Monday morning (00.05), which will make them a priority for customs, further facilitating a speedy and efficient onward journey, according to Air Partner.

“Freight activity at Galeão International Airport will obviously be very heavy in the run-up to the Olympics and in the immediate aftermath, so we are delighted that we are able to offer this exclusive ‘Rio Express’,” said Mike Hill, director of freight at Air Partner.

“This is the second time that we have operated this type of service – following on from the success of the ‘Sochi Express’ at the 2014 Winter Olympics – and we expect it to be just as popular with clients this time around. We know that not all our freight forwarder clients will have enough cargo to warrant a full charter, and this service will enable them to transport smaller amounts in a cost-effective way. Given the location of the airport, the early arrival time and the use of containers, we don’t believe there will be a quicker way of getting cargo to the Olympic venues this summer.”