GE90-115B: Stansted → Riga - The World's Most Powerful Engine
A phone call about a $30 million asset. The GE90-115B - 4,800 kg, the heaviest and most valuable single engine we have ever handled. The logistics challenge was not the distance. It was the insurance: arranging $35M coverage in under 6 hours, and then coordinating a 50-tonne crane at the destination.
What happened
Standard cargo insurance policies cap at $5-10M. A $30M+ engine requires a bespoke policy placed on the Lloyd's aviation market - underwriters need the transport plan, vehicle specifications, driver certifications, and route risk assessment before they will bind coverage. This usually takes days. We had hours. On top of that, the GE90 at 4,800 kg requires a 50-tonne mobile crane for loading and unloading - not something you book on a Sunday.
What made it difficult
- 1$35M insurance policy needed - standard market caps at $10M
- 2Lloyd's underwriters required full transport plan before binding
- 350-tonne crane needed at both origin and destination - weekend booking
- 44,800 kg on transport stand - the heaviest single engine in our portfolio
How we handled it
Our insurance broker submitted the transport plan to Lloyd's at 09:00 on Day 1. By 15:00, $35M coverage was bound - the fastest placement our broker had done that year. Simultaneously, we booked a 50-tonne crane in Riga for Day 3 and arranged the UK export paperwork. Day 2: the engine was loaded onto a charter freighter at Stansted. Day 3: the crane was already positioned at the MRO facility when the truck arrived from the airport. EU customs clearance completed in 4 hours. Total time from first call to engine on stand in Riga: 3 days.
Result
Shipping the heaviest jet engine on the road? 4,800 kg, $30M cargo - we have done it. +371 22302054 / aero@langino.lv