Geodis supported the seasonal relocation of 25 firefighting helicopters this autumn, managing their transfer from Palma del Río in Córdoba, Spain, to the port of San Antonio in Chile for Pegasus Aero Group.

The complex operation, carried out between September and early December, requires around four weeks per shipment.

Geodis said it has been supporting Pegasus Aero Group, a Spanish air emergency operator, with the seasonal relocation of its firefighting helicopters since 2023.

As wildfire seasons grow closer together, Geodis ensures the on-time shipment of around 25 helicopters each year between operational regions, meeting increasingly tight deployment deadlines.

Juan Domingo Bautista, south area sales manager, Geodis in Spain, said, meeting the tight deadlines for having helicopters ready on the other side of the globe is a major challenge. "An end-to-end transport cycle takes about 24 days, making the coordination of maintenance, customs, ocean freight and final delivery a process that demands precise and agile planning."

To support Pegasus's operations, Geodis manages the entire logistics chain: helicopter disassembly in Palma del Río, container loading, road transport to the Port of Sines, customs clearance via Sevilla, ocean freight, and final delivery to reassembly sites including Carriel Airport, 500 km south of San Antonio.

It added that depending on the model, helicopters travel in high-cube 40-foot containers or disassembled on flat racks with separate units for the tail, rotors and blades.

"Geodis adapts to our operational timelines and manages our different helicopter configurations with ease. Their support ensures our fleet is ready for the next deployment," said Samuel Ross de Almagro Scheer, head of logistics at Pegasus Aero Group.

Building on this service, Geodis said it is developing an airfreight 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 the Aerospace & Defense sector, reinforcing the Group's ability to deliver complex and time-critical logistics solutions for industry-leading operators," the global transport and logistics provider added.