LX Pantos has successfully completed a large-scale air transport project, bringing 11.2 million fresh eggs from the United States and Thailand to South Korea using 10 chartered cargo flights. This initiative was part of the government's emergency import measures in response to supply instability caused by avian influenza (AI).
On September 9, LX Pantos announced the conclusion of the project, which began in mid-June with a total of 10 flights. The transported volume amounted to approximately 800 tons, equivalent to about 370,000 cartons of eggs based on a 30-egg standard.
The final shipment, consisting of 150 tons of fresh eggs, arrived at Incheon International Airport on September 4 aboard two Boeing 747 cargo planes that departed from Los Angeles International Airport.
Key to this transport was speed and temperature management. LX Pantos established a logistics system to minimize transit time from farms in the U.S. and Thailand to domestic distribution, employing specialized packaging and loading methods to maintain optimal temperatures and prevent egg breakage throughout the process.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated last month that it is reviewing plans to establish an 'import response system' to quickly secure fresh eggs in case of supply disruptions due to highly pathogenic AI, including measures to secure overseas supply chains and expedite import procedures.
As the government may need to repeat emergency imports, the importance of maintaining a logistics network that preserves freshness from overseas sources to domestic distribution is increasing. Earlier this year, the Ministry expanded the supply of fresh eggs from the U.S. and Thailand in response to decreased production and rising prices.
LX Pantos holds the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) CEIV Fresh certification for fresh cargo air transport and CEIV Pharma certification for pharmaceutical transport. The company plans to utilize charter flights and cold chain logistics to respond to any future government decisions regarding additional fresh egg imports.
A representative from LX Pantos stated, "We successfully executed this complex fresh egg transport project based on our long-accumulated air transport capabilities and cold chain expertise. We will continue to leverage our experience in the special cargo sector, including fresh food, to actively meet the needs of our customers and the market."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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