A Giant Disco Chicken Takes Flight with United Cargo

CHICAGO — United Cargo recently managed one of its most unique shipments: Hennifer, a sculpture by Denver-based artist Lauren Young, covered in over 500,000 hand-laid mirror tiles.

Destined for her debut at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Hennifer required special handling, which the United Cargo team ensured throughout her journey.

Transporting the sculpture from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) required both creativity and precision.

United Cargo specialists collaborated with Young to design a custom crate that met all aircraft specifications and height restrictions. Prior to departure, Hennifer was thoroughly wrapped, cushioned, and secured to protect the sculpture’s intricate details.

“It takes incredible teamwork to move something like Hennifer across the country — we just got to share the sparkle,” said Doug McCuen, DEN Cargo Operations Manager at United.

The things we ship

From the Denver ramp to Houston’s rodeo grounds, this shipment is but one example of how special cargo operations, this time United Cargo’s, means coordinating complex logistics and cross-team collaboration, whether for critical freight, special deliveries, or unique cargo such a giant mirror-tiled chicken.

As the cargo division of United Airlines (UA), United Cargooperates major facilities at key hubs, including a primary Chicago O'Hare (ORD) location