“Emirates Group Security and Transguard worked closely with Emirates Sk圜argo for the successful planning and the movement of this valuable statue. Audiences in Switzerland had an opportunity to become familiar with an important part of Pakistan’s ancient heritage and Emirates Sk圜argo had a part in creating this link between the two countries,” said Jassim Saif, Emirates Vice President Cargo Commercial- West Asia and South East Asia. We are delighted that we were able to successfully transport the statue to the exhibition in Zurich. “It was a landmark shipment for Emirates Sk圜argo. The shipment was also monitored continuously by Emirates Sk圜argo’s 24*7 operational Cargo Operations Command Centre to pre-empt and avoid any potential obstacles during transportation.Įmirates Sk圜argo executed the first leg of the movement from Peshawar to Zurich in December 2018 and completed the return leg from Zurich in early April 2019. With detailed planning and coordination with Emirates Network Control, Emirates Sk圜argo ensured that the arriving and departing aircraft were parked in close proximity so as to avoid any long transit delays. During its transit at Dubai International Airport, the statue was quickly transferred on the ramp to its connecting aircraft. “Entrusted with the overall project management for transporting the Buddha statue, it was crucial for us to work with a strong partner sharing the same mindset as we do at Crozier – flexible in their actions, attentive, with great instincts and always eager to find a customized solution for every special project“, added Xenia Weiss, Manager Business Development & Projects at Crozier Switzerland.Įmirates Sk圜argo also worked with Emirates Group Security and Transguard to ensure seamless security screening, handling and clearance for the statue. In the end we came up with the simple solution of affixing an Emirates tamper proof tape on the outer packaging of the wooden crate to make sure that we would not have any tampering of the shipment,” he added. “For us the priority was twofold, to ensure that the shipment was handled with utmost care to avoid any damage from impact and of course to ensure the security of the priceless statue. However, for a statue of this size, this was not really an option,” said Julius Mooney, Commercial Development Manager – Speciality Products, Emirates Sk圜argo. “Our standard procedures mention that any precious cargo has to be transported in secure metal door containers. However, the air cargo carrier also had to do some out of the box thinking. Special care had to be taken by the museums during the packing and installation process, as well as by Emirates Sk圜argo during the transportation, to ensure that the monumental statue was not accidentally damaged.Įmirates Sk圜argo pulled out all the stops to make sure that the statue weighing 1,700 kilograms, and reaching over 2 metres in height, was transported safely in the bellyhold of its widebody passenger aircraft through handling processes and security measures outlined under Emirates Valuable, its specialised product for transporting precious goods. It was the first time that the statue had travelled outside of Pakistan. The ancient Gandhara Buddha statue was given on special loan by the Peshawar Museum to feature in the exhibition ‘Next Stop Nirvana- Approaches to Buddhism’ at the Museum Rietberg. The statue from the Peshawar Museum in Pakistan was safely transported from its home to Zurich and back by Emirates Sk圜argo working closely with the art logistics specialists at Crozier Switzerland (formerly known as Loomis Artcare). Dubai, UAE, 30 April 2019- Between December 2018 and March 2019, visitors to the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland, had the rare opportunity to come face to face with a colossal statue of Buddha more than 2,000 years old.