Last summer, a challenge tested the very limits of logistics when a vital medication needed urgent transport from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Dubai (DXB), connecting through Newark (EWR). Everything was in place for a seamless journey—until a flight delay disrupted the connection into Newark.

A backup flight was secured immediately, but a new problem emerged: LifeGuard shipments require a minimum two-hour layover to ensure proper handling. The new itinerary offered only 90 minutes.

The timeline was tight, and the stakes were high. A delay of even a few hours could risk the viability of the medication—and with it, the patient’s life-saving treatment. Despite the system automatically rejecting the booking due to the short connection, the United Cargo team jumped into action.

What followed was an extraordinary display of teamwork. Specialists from Operations, Specialty Products, Sales, and Revenue Management came together, aligned on a rapid-response plan, and coordinated every detail. In Newark, the ground team expedited the process with care and urgency—hand-delivering the shipment directly to the next flight.

Because of this collaboration, the medication arrived on time in Dubai, preserving its efficacy and ensuring the patient received the treatment they urgently needed.

“It truly takes cross-functional collaboration internally to make something like this happen,” said Kellen Magiera, Business Development Manager – Specialty Products, Americas. “When a case like this arises, it’s not a matter of should we do it—it’s how we make it happen. What makes us Uniquely United is that we’re always up to the challenge to Make Awesome Stuff Happen.”