Cathay Cargo recently carried some VIP cattle with a charter shipment of Angus and Holstein beasts between Australia and Taiwan.

Around 90 tonnes of cattle – more than 160 animals in all – made the trip on the scheduled freighter service from Melbourne to Hong Kong, before flying on to Taipei as an extra service.

Frank Calderone, Cargo Manager, Victoria, Tasmania and Southern Australia, said that the animals were transported in specially constructed, disposable wooden crates that meet IATA’s live animal transport guidelines.

‘The crates were all self-contained and constructed with absorbent matting and ventilation to ensure the cows are safely transported and to minimise potential spillage on the aircraft,’ he added. ‘Cathay Pacific’s guidelines require that we use a secondary “skymat” blanket under each crate to further protect the aircraft. There are also limits placed on how many cattle heads per crate are allowed, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the cattle.’

An animal handler travelled on both legs of the flight to further ensure the animals’ welfare.

Cargo Manager Tony Jiang said: ‘The animals arrived safely and it was a smooth operation.’