Silver Fern Farms Airfreights 90 Tonnes of Chilled Meat to UAE Amid Freight Disruptions

The move is said to demonstrate the company's ability to maintain reliable customer supply in the face of ongoing logistics challenges in the region.

The shipment was delivered using a customer-chartered aircraft operating from Auckland to Abu Dhabi, ensuring end-to-end cold chain compliance and product integrity for customers in the region.

The chilled product will supply Middle East distributor Al Tayeb, a division of Lulu Group, supporting ongoing demand for high-quality New Zealand red meat.

Longstanding Middle East Partnerships Supported

Scott Hurdley, Silver Fern Farms' general manager logistics, says the delivery highlights the company's commitment to finding solutions forf customers during a period of disruption across sea freight routes.

“We have longstanding customer partnerships of over 35 years in the Middle East, and many exporters are currently experiencing difficulty servicing this important region,” he says.

“This shipment demonstrates how Silver Fern Farms continues to innovate and work closely with our supply chain partner Al Tayeb to ensure we continue meet our commitments to this market and protect the integrity of our chilled products.”

Chartered Aircraft Provided Alternative Freight Pathway

The Middle East is a strategic market for Silver Fern Farms, particularly for chilled lamb and beef.

With traditional freight routes constrained, the chartered airfreight solution provided an alternative pathway to maintain continuity of supply and uphold long‑standing relationship with Lulu Group.

The plane arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with the product successfully disembarked and distributed by Al Tayeb, and Hurdley says the airfreight was made possible thanks to close coordination right across the supply chain.

“We have done smaller-scale airfreight before however completely filling a plane was unique,” he says.

“As the proposition of our chilled product is about shortening the time between the farm and the end consumer, this shipment required close coordination right from our New Zealand-based planning teams right through to our dedicated Middle East office and Al Tayeb team,” he says.

Global Logistics Partners Supported Cold-Chain Compliance

Silver Fern Farms also worked closely with global logistics partner Hellmann Worldwide Logistics to plan and execute the shipment, ensuring strict temperature control and cold‑chain compliance from departure through to arrival.

Auckland Airport supported the operation by facilitating the airside process.

Shipment Hightlights Resilience of New Zealand Food Exports

Hurdley says the success of the shipment underlines New Zealand’s ability to deliver premium food products to international markets, even under challenging conditions.

“Silver Fern Farms is proud to be a partner of one of the leading retailers (LuLu Group) in the Middle East, with a robust network spanning multiple markets and a strong global sourcing ecosystem. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to delivering world-class quality to our customers while ensuring a resilient and reliable food supply chain,” he says.

“Our customers rely on us to deliver consistently, particularly during periods of uncertainty. This is about protecting trust, maintaining partnerships, and ensuring consumers in the Middle East continue to access high‑quality New Zealand lamb and beef,” he says.