As of December 2011, the cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd will start deploying “lightweight” containers in its ULD fleet by replacing 150 of its LD3 – AKE devices. By 2014, the whole AKE fleet, which numbers over 1300 devices, will be replaced in four steps by the new type of composite containers provided by ULD management partner Jettainer.
For many decades, international aviation has exclusively used aluminium containers for the transport of cargo and baggage. In the last few years, the demand for further weight reduction has inspired container manufactures to research new, lighter composite materials such as glass fibre, Kevlar fibre or Dyneema®. Most of these materials are completely recyclable.
120,000 trial runs and six months of material testing in collaboration with "Süddeutsches Kunststoffzentrum Würzburg" (a German institute for quality assurance monitoring) revealed that lightweight containers significantly reduce the transport costs and environmental impact of airline operations.
For Swiss International Air Lines, the estimated reduction in CO2 emissions will amount to over 3,000 tonnes per year upon completion of the container replacement plan in 2014, equal to the total annual emissions produced by a Swiss village of 500 inhabitants.
The revolutionary containers, which are carried in the lower deck of widebody aircraft, offer advantages when it comes to ground handing, too: firstly, due to their lower weight, they require less energy for transport to and from the aircraft. Secondly, the composite material used is safer to handle than aluminium.
“Switzerland is renowned worldwide for its spectacular scenery and clean air, and we all share a responsibility to keep it that way. Nevertheless the Swiss economy and the welfare of the population require measured development of the airline and supporting infrastructure. These two aims can only be reconciled by the constant deployment of the latest technology to reduce the environmental impact of air operations”, comments Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer at SWISS.
Lightweight containers mark an important milestone in SWISS’s determination to meet its target of further reduction of fuel consumption. “Although lightweight containers are promoted by suppliers for the reduction of fuel consumption, we demanded to know the holistic picture of deployment of such containers, including the environmental impact of manufacture and disposal at the end of the life cycle”, Evans continues. “We took our decision only after careful consideration and verification of all these aspects.”
In the last few years, significant investment was made in new, low-emission aircraft and SWISS now operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the industry. With regard to cargo, trucking partners are obliged to use modern equipment and efficient route planning as well as to continuously invest in renewing their fleets and training their drivers to ensure ecological standards are adhered to. Other important measures concern ground handling and waste management: in fact, all Swiss WorldCargo’s standard agreements demand that ground handling partners conserve natural resources, avoid the use of hazardous materials where possible and actively recycle.
Swiss WorldCargo is the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. With a global network of more than 150 destinations in over 80 countries and a wide range of services offered, Swiss WorldCargo generates true added value for its customers and makes a substantial contribution to the earnings power of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
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Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
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