Janet Nodar | May 19, 2010 12:51PM EDT
Oil spill-fighting equipment from Singapore, China and the UK and a team of salvage specialists from the Netherlands, all on aircraft charters coordinated by UK-based Chapman Freeborn, arrived in New Orleans in the past 30 days to take part in the fight to clean up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The first charter used a 747-400F aircraft to bring approximately 60 tons of technical oil spill equipment from East Midlands Airport to New Orleans. A 747-200F charter, managed by the company's Singapore team, also departed to New Orleans from Singapore with an additional 55 ton consignment of breakbulk equipment, the company said.
Two further charters brought in 80 tons of breakbulk equipment from Qingdao, China. Qingdao Airport told Chapman Freeborn that the charters were the first time they have supported direct flights to the United States.
A passenger charter also delivered Netherlands-based salvage specialists to New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of the Deepwater blow-out, which happened April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico.
-- Contact Janet Nodar at jcnodar@bellsouth.net.