20 000 sheep take flight to Saudi Arabia

Sep 26 2023 Travel trends

In addition to machinery, textiles, time-sensitive items like medications and food, live animals are often transported by air freight. This spectrum of cargo includes pets, horses, exotic animals, ornamental fish, insects, and even livestock such as sheep and cattle. Romania has been a consistent player in exporting animals around the world.

Romania's livestock export industry takes to the skies

According to reports from the Boarding Pass portal, Bucharest Airport is gearing up for a substantial undertaking. In September, approximately 20,000 sheep are set to take flight from the airport of the Romanian capital to Saudi Arabia. The plan involves ten flights, each carrying 2,100 sheep. It's currently unclear which airline will be conducting these flights.

Sheep destined for the Middle East

Similar livestock flights have occurred in the past. In early 2019, Qatar Airways Cargo transported sheep to Iran aboard an Airbus A330 F. Royal Jordanian regularly flies animals from Bucharest to Jordan, and Egypt Air Cargo delivers sheep to Cairo. Other countries also engage in sheep exports. In 2020, a Boeing 747 with hundreds of sheep on board had to make an emergency landing in Tehran while en route from Adana to Dubai.