Heavy, outsize and project cargo
Outsize and heavy cargo air charter: will it fit, and on what?
Submit a requirement any time — no account needed · first response usually within 60 minutes · 24/7 for AOG and time-critical. Optional: business account for status tracking
For outsize and heavy cargo the first question is not price but loadability. Door size, cabin contour, floor load and the loading equipment decide which aircraft can take the piece at all. CCN checks the dimensions against freighter data and operator loading specialists before any offer is made.
Outsize desk
Door aperture, floor load and ramp angle decide before payload does.
CCN is an independent broker and operates no aircraft. Each mission is placed with a regulated operator after comparing several options. How independent brokerage works.
What CCN handles on an outsize or heavy mission
- Comparing each piece's dimensions with door openings and cabin contour
- Checking floor load and the need for load spreaders or shoring
- Requesting a loading plan from the operator's load specialists
- Arranging cranes, high loaders or ramps at both airports
- Coordinating special road transport to and from the aircraft
- Clarifying lashing and securing material
The loading decision is explained in outsize and heavy air cargo.
Door and cabin data are compared in the largest cargo aircraft.
Turbine and project loads are covered under energy and project cargo.
When air charter is right for outsize cargo — and when it is not
A good fit when
- — The deadline rules out sea transport
- — Road or sea routes are blocked or too long for the project schedule
- — The piece fits a freighter door, nose door or ramp
Usually not the right choice when
- — The piece exceeds even An-124 cabin dimensions
- — The schedule allows breakbulk or project shipping
- — The piece could be dismantled and shipped on scheduled freighters
Standard pallet loads go on a regular cargo charter.
Machinery with fuel or batteries may be dangerous goods.
What the desk needs to check loadability
Full checklist: what a firm cargo charter quote needs.
- 01Dimensions per piece (L × W × H) and a drawing if available
- 02Gross weight per piece and total
- 03Centre of gravity and lifting points
- 04Stackability and whether the piece can be tilted
- 05Base footprint for floor-load calculation
- 06Loading equipment available at origin and destination
Aircraft for outsize and heavy cargo (indicative)
Side-door wide-bodies take large pallets; the 747F nose door takes long pieces within its envelope; the An-124 adds a ramp and onboard cranes.
- Boeing 777FPayload: ≈ 102,000 kgMain deck door: 3.72 m × 3.05 m (side)
- Boeing 747-400FPayload: 112,900 kg (747-8F: ≈ 134,000 kg — indicative value, not manufacturer-verified)Main deck side door: 3.4 m wide × 3.1 m high (clear opening)
- Antonov An-124Payload: ≈ 120,000 kg (-150: ≈ 150,000 kg)Cargo cabin: ≈ 36.5 m × 6.4 m × 4.4 m
Indicative — depends on route, fuel, density and operator. CCN operates no aircraft; types shown are examples operators offer, not a fleet.
Limits to check for outsize cargo
- Door envelope and cabin contour at the piece's height and width
- Floor load and total weight distribution
- Runway and apron suitability for large types
- Availability of cranes or high loaders at the airport
- Road permits for special transport to the airport
From drawing to loading plan to flight
- 01You send dimensions, weights and drawings.
- 02The desk checks loadability with operators and proposes aircraft.
- 03The operator confirms the loading plan; equipment is booked.
- 04Loading is supervised; the piece is secured, flown and offloaded.
What an outsize cargo offer contains
- Aircraft type, operator and registration where already allocated
- Routing, technical stops and planned timings (local times)
- Usable payload and volume for your cargo on this routing
- Price basis (per flight, per block hour or per rotation), currency and validity
- Inclusions and exclusions — handling, fuel, permits, insurance, positioning
- Subject-to conditions: availability at signature, permits, slots, operator acceptance
- Loading method and equipment assumed
- Conditions tied to the confirmed loading plan
Questions
Frequently asked questions
See all questionsOutsize pieces well beyond 40 tonnes are movable on An-124 class aircraft, subject to dimensions, floor loading and airport capability. The limit is usually geometry, not weight.
Dimensioned drawings or photographs with measurements let us confirm loadability before an aircraft is committed, which avoids costly late changes.
Yes. Cranes, low-loaders, rigging crews and escorts are arranged through specialist partners and sequenced against the flight schedule, so the piece arrives airside in the correct orientation and within the loading window.
Nose loading is available on B747 freighter variants and on the An-124, and rear ramp loading on the IL-76, An-12 and military-derived types. It matters for long pieces such as blades, pipes, fuselage sections and rail components that cannot be rotated inside the cabin.
Where nose loading is not available, the piece must fit through the side cargo door at its diagonal, which is a stricter constraint than most shippers expect.
Send length, width, height and weight per piece, plus the centre of gravity and lifting points for anything heavy. We check it against main-deck door dimensions, contour limits, floor loading in kilograms per square metre and the loading method available at both airports.
A piece that fits geometrically can still fail on floor strength or on the equipment available on the ramp, so both checks are done before the offer.
