The Priority Worldwide UK office and it’s globally positioned emergency response team were called into action in September 2024 to urgently airfreight equipment to the Red Sea.
CASE STUDY: Priority Worldwide assists emergency maritime mobilization in the Red Sea
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In late August 2024, a 275-meter-long oil tanker, the MV Sounion was attached by Houthi militants near the mouth of the Red Sea. The resulting attack caused an engine fire and loss of propulsion resulting in the evacuation of the crew by EU naval military boats. The concerns over an environmental disaster caused the salvage industry to engage with the vessel rescue, to prevent 150,000 tons of crude oil spilling into the Red Sea.
Our partner, a globally-active maritime environmental response company, requested Priority Worldwide ER team to rush airfreight a shipment of marine response equipment to Egypt, to catch a support vessel heading to the Red Sea. We organized a chartered Boeing B767-200F operating from East Midlands Airport directly into Cairo Airport to transport 25Tons of boom reels, powerpacks and other emergency response equipment. Working against the clock, we secured permits for a quick landing into Cairo and within 3 days of the initial call-out, the equipment was on ground in Cairo to be transferred to Alexandria.
The response was extremely time sensitive due to the support vessel connection, and complex due to the oversized nature of some of the support equipment. The equipment made it to the Red Sea where it was joined by other equipment coming from the wider salvage community The fire was extinguished and the vessel was secured with minimal environmental impact.
Priority Worldwide ER Team : ER@priorityworldwide.com
