About us

1987 The beginning

Intradco Cargo Services was established in the UK in 1987 by Eddie McMullen (pictured far left), & business partner Sam Harris. In the early days the company handled all types of cargo before specialising in animal transportation.

The name “Intradco” was an acronym for International Trading Company. The key aim of the business was to allow for easier international trade, by providing the best solutions for air charter or air freight. This was at a time when there was far less supply of freighters in the market, so air charters were widely required to reach many global destinations.

1993 Adapting to aircraft development

Intradco Global’s equipment has been compatible with Boeing 747 or 777 freighters, McDonnell Douglas MD-11s, Airbus types and other widebodied cargo aircraft throughout the years, making it a favourite with many of the world’s leading airlines. Through continued design innovation, the growing range of stalls and penning provide greater flexibility added safety and comfort features for all their occupants.

1998 An array of wildlife and protected species

Throughout the company’s history the Intradco Global team has transported an array of wildlife and protected species of all shapes and sizes around the world – from alpacas to rhinos. The team work closely with zoos, global organisations, and game reserves, across many high-profile relocation missions.

2002 Development of the 747-F stalls

The early 2000s saw Intradco Global further develop it’s stalls for the Boeing 747-F aircraft. This includes the 747-F Drop Top, the key feature of the Drop Top is that the roof can be lowered in height to allow for economic movement of empty stalls, whilst still providing the perfect ergonomic design for horse safety and stress reduction during transport. This design is still being used in the current market, although less common compared to the more modern fully collapsible stalls.

2010s Expert care for decades

Trainers, owners and breeders have trusted Intradco Global to coordinate expert animal handlers to accompany their precious cargo. Sourcing only the best in the field, from an established global network of professional flying grooms, all of whom are Animal Transport Association (ATA) approved, and all have a minimum of 10 years’ experience flying horses.

2015 Charlie McMullen becomes Director

Charlie McMullen becomes Director of Intradco Global to continue the tremendous work carried out by his father, Eddie McMullen. Charlie initially started with Intradco as a stall man, flying groom and flight project manager. This hands-on approach meant he developed experience in the field and the best practices when transporting animals by air. Today Charlie manages the Intradco Global team with the company growing from strength to strength, with offices located in 23 countries worldwide.

2016 Intradco Global Equine focus

Strong relationships with market leading horse shipping agents achieved an historic milestone, with over 3000 horses being flown in 2016. This included some high profile movements to new markets, including China and other growing Far East import markets. The world famous Cavalia Tour trusted Intradco for a series of flights before ending their tour in China, and large movements of up to 90 horses from Keeneland sales.

2018 Eric the rhino

The high-profile transportation of Eric the rhino who embarked on a 10,000-mile journey across the globe from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to Tanzania, was widely covered in the media. Eric was to play a starring role in a breeding programme designed to help save the critically endangered species from extinction. An operation of this kind took several months of planning which resulted in the successful delivery of Eric to his new home. Since Eric was released into the larger protection zone, he has been making great progress in his naturalisation to the surrounding environment. Scuffled footprints and broken bushes are leading us to hope that there may be a new arrival in the future.

2019 Equine / Livestock / Conservation

The journey towards being the market leader in global animal transport continues, with Intradco Global servicing the world’s most prestigious equine shipping agents and competition organisers, livestock breeders and traders, and conservation projects leaders. Further development of our most valuable asset – the people within our specialist teams – continues to be key to delivering a quality global service. 2019 and onwards will see further focus to live animal equipment innovation and tailoring the global service scope to all of Intradco Global’s clients.

2021 Triple deck sheep stall launches on the market

In 2021, the demand for both sheep and goat air freight movements was on the rise, Intradco Global embarked on a research and design journey to build innovative, reusable and collapsible stalls. These stalls had to be lightweight, but durable, whilst maximising ventilation to ensure enhanced standards of animal welfare. These stalls are now the leading livestock stalls and are preferred by many major livestock shippers for their shipments.