In one of the stranger side-effects of the Icelandic volcano’s eruption, the world’s largest freighter – the Antonov An-225 – has performed its first charter from China, carrying a full load of general cargo. The aircraft – owned by Antonov Airlines and normally associated only with the very largest and heaviest outsize loads – transported the cargo from Shijiazhuang Airport (SJW) near Beijing to Vitoria (VIT), Spain on behalf of a major, but unspecified freight forwarder. The unusual operation was necessitated by the serious air cargo backlogs that have built up in China due to the closure of European airspace for several days following the volcanic eruption.