Emirates SkyCargo has begun the largest commercial airlift of horses ever undertaken ahead of the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018, to be held in North Carolina from September 11 to September 23, 2018.

According to the carrier, the first group of 67 horses has been flown from Liege to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in a chartered Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777 Freighter. The aircraft features customized stalls and independently air-conditioned zones to maintain the perfect temperature for the animals, which weigh anywhere between 450kg and 840kg.

In total, Emirates will operate 19 flights to fly a total of over 500 horses to the event, in partnership with equine transportation specialist Peden Bloodstock.

“Emirates SkyCargo is excited to be working on our largest horse transport charter for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018,” said Wilfred D’Souza, manager of cargo scheduling, planning and equine transportation at Emirates. “Over the course of the last 16 years we have developed strong expertise and capabilities in equine transportation and this, combined with careful planning and attention to detail, allows us to consistently deliver a comfortable environment for the horses in flight.”

After touchdown, the horses were transferred directly onto trucks for the 82km journey to Tryon.

Apart from the horses themselves, Emirates will also transport 123,500 tonnes of equipment, including saddles, bridles, rugs, grooming kits, wheelbarrows, pitchforks, horseshoes and all-terrain studs, as well as 51 tonnes of horse feed.

“This is the largest commercial airlift of horses in history, with only wartime shipments of horses coming close, so the military precision involved in the logistics is incredible,” said Ingmar De Vos, president of the FEI. “These horses are finely tuned equine athletes and are not only very valuable, but they must arrive in peak competition condition, just like their human counterparts.”

The horses for the event come from countries including Austria, Belgium, Bahrain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden, according to the FEI.