There is always room for improvement of air traffic’s ecological footprint, according to Jettainer. The company calls for ongoing innovation in hardware and software as well as handling processes. Jettainer has been developing lighter Unit Load Devices (ULDs) for years in close cooperation with customers and all major manufacturers – as well as innovative software based on artificial intelligence.
“In the future we want to make ULD management even more efficient and eco-friendly and therefore want to boost our contribution to protecting our environment,” says Carsten Hernig, managing director of Jettainer GmbH. “Using innovative materials and designs, it has been possible to reduce the weight of ULDs by as much as 40% during the past few years since the introduction of the first lightweight units.” Jettainer operates the largest ULD fleet in the world with approx. 90,000 pallets and containers that are made available to 26 customers at the moment. “Each gram of weight saved helps to reduce kerosene consumption every year,” says Hernig, “and that means an improved eco-footprint for us and our airline customers.”
Jettainer has been successively continuing to develop the eco-friendly, but robust lightweight containers in conjunction with all leading manufacturers. The units are usually made of carbon fibres and partly from recycled materials. This improves the loading weight and creates savings in fuel, too. The units help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions for the airline industry. In addition to improving the hardware, Jettainer’s own software (JettWare) is increasingly playing a role in ensuring even more effective management processes for ULDs. An expert system developed in conjunction with the University of Cologne enables the company to manage customers’ ULDs even more precisely and efficiently with the aid of artificial intelligence. If customers use JettWare with JettAPP locally, the software enables them to constantly optimise their ULD fleet. “We’re continuing to expand JettWare and are working to make use of artificial intelligence to manage the ULD fleets even more efficiently,” adds Martin Kraemer, Head of Marketing at Jettainer.
Fleet sizes, empty container miles, return trips and backup stocks are already being reduced continuously. This not only pays off in terms of climate protection, but also for customers’ balance sheets: the innovative hardware and software solutions for ULD management enable cost savings of up to 25 percent.
Jettainer also has environmental certification and continually involves all its employees in environmental activities. The internal “Be a Role Model” project visualises the environmental activities that each individual employee can implement directly in their daily work.
