CHAMP Cargosystems has announced that 28 of the world’s
leading cargo carriers are switching over to the new web-enabled and
Java-based version of ULD Manager launched at Air Cargo Europe this
week.Among them are Air China, Finnair, Icelandair and Saudi Arabian
Airlines.

The new CHAMP ULD Manager is unique in being able to capture
photographic images of units which have suffered damage, allowing
carriers to control costs of repairs through third parties and, because
it’s available via the Internet, it does not require any special
equipment or data lines to access.

 

John Johnston, CEO CHAMP Cargosystems, said, “This is a huge investment
area for airlines which spend an estimated $200 million each year
maintaining, repairing and replacing ULDs. We have developed ULD
Manager’s tracking and management capability with a user-friendly
graphical interface and it can be deployed on a stand-alone basis or as
a module of CHAMP’s Cargo management solutions. The bottom line is that
it will optimise the use of expensive assets.”

 

There are an estimated one million ULDs in use around the world with a
collective value of over $1 billion making them a very valuable asset.
The 28 airlines switching over to the new CHAMP ULD manager control
approximately 10% of the worldwide ULD market or 100,000 ULD’s. 

 

“Managing global ULD inventories is a major challenge for airlines. Most
ULDs are considered aircraft parts and subject to stringent regulations
in terms of handling and maintenance. The aviation safety officials are
taking an ever closer look at how carriers handle their ULD stock. For
example, in the USA, the FAA makes regular unannounced spot checks on
aircraft and on the tarmac. The FAA has the power to ground the carrier
if the equipment being used is not up to standard,” said Johnston.

 

Enhanced features of the industry-compliant CHAMP ULD Manager being
demonstrated at Air Cargo Europe include pro-active monitoring and
alerting of low stock levels and overdue units, full integration with
industry standard messaging and compatibility with bar coding and RFID
technologies.
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