Air Charter Service (ACS) has transported two Mil Mi-8 MTV helicopters from Africa to Europe using an Ilyushin IL-76 for refurbishment work.

ACS says the operations took a number of weeks to plan, and the rotors, tails and landing gears all had to be removed before the helicopters were loaded onto the aircraft. The helicopters can carry up to 24 people or four tonnes of cargo. The refurbishment work is expected to take about six months and ACS hopes to transport the helicopters on their return. ACS could not say where in Africa the helicopters were transported from or where in Europe they went.

ACS commercial director, Justin Lancaster says: “Weeks of meticulous planning between ourselves, the customer and the airline went into the operation, before the helicopters were carefully loaded without their rotors, tails or landing gears attached.”