Hunger for beef from Australia spurs cow flight

Next time you're stuck on a long-haul flight in a packed, economy-class cabin, being ignored by a frazzled flight attendant, spare a thought for the passengers on a recent flight from Melbourne to Chongqing in China. They were cows.

Crated up and loaded onto the main deck of a Boeing Co 747 cargo plane by hydraulic lift, the 150 beasts were on Australia's first live cattle flight to central China. Destination: The abattoir.

The flights are possible, and profitable, because of China's soaring demand for fresh beef and regulations that require imported live animals to be slaughtered close to their point of entry. That means that if you want to sell fresh steaks to inland cities, like Chongqing, you need a big plane.