Geodis relocates 25 firefighting helicopters to Chile, enhancing wildfire response capabilities for Pegasus Aero Group.
Geodis has successfully completed the seasonal relocation of 25 firefighting helicopters from Palma del Rio in Cordoba, Spain, to San Antonio in Chile for Pegasus Aero Group, according to a Geodis press release.
The shipments, conducted between September and early December, took approximately four weeks to complete. Geodis has been supporting Pegasus Aero Group, a Spanish air emergency operator, with these relocations since 2023, as wildfire seasons are becoming increasingly close together.
This operation requires close coordination with Pegasus's technical teams, who prepare the aircraft for transport immediately after each wildfire season. Geodis teams in both Spain and Chile collaborate with partners to provide flexible end-to-end solutions that can adapt to last-minute readiness changes.
Juan Domingo Bautista, South Area Sales Manager at Geodis in Spain, emphasized that meeting tight deadlines presents significant challenges. He noted that a full transport cycle takes about 24 days, necessitating precise planning across maintenance, customs, ocean freight, and final delivery.
Geodis manages the entire logistics chain, including helicopter disassembly in Palma del Rio, container loading, road transport to the Port of Sines, customs clearance via Sevilla, ocean freight, and reassembly at locations such as Carriel Airport, which is 500 km south of San Antonio. Depending on the helicopter model, they are shipped in high-cube 40-foot containers or disassembled on flat racks.
Samuel Ross de Almagro Scheer, Head of Logistics at Pegasus Aero Group, stated that Geodis effectively adapts to operational timelines and manages various helicopter configurations, ensuring the fleet is ready for deployment.
Building on this success, Geodis is developing an air freight solution for rotor and blade repairs in the United States and exploring an expanded role in future seasonal flows. This collaboration further strengthens Geodis's expertise in aerospace and defense logistics.
