Jettainer to digitize American Airlines Cargo ULDs

ULD management company Jettainer is undertaking a proof-of-concept test to equip slightly more than 10%, or 2,000, American Airlines Cargo containers and pallets with Bluetooth Low Energy tracking tags.

In a statement announcing the plan, Jettainer also said it would extend its cooperation agreement with AA Cargo for another five years. 

Lufthansa Cargo-owned subsidiary Jettainer partnered with logistics data company CORE Transport Technologies in October last year to develop containers and pallets enabled with Bluetooth tracking. COREInsight, Core Transport’s tracking solution, allows for live tracking of the ULDs and their contents by purchase order and recording data, including temperature, GPS location, direction and speed of travel, and external and internal temperature. 

AA Cargo will evaluate the benefits of containers and pallets with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags during the initial proof of concept testing, according to Jettainer. A timeline for the full implementation of ULD-tracking across AA Cargo’s more than 18,000 ULDs was not specified. Jettainer has not yet returned a request for comment. 

“We strongly focus on opportunities created by digitalization in many areas,” Rick Elieson, President of AA Cargo, said in a statement. “Jettainer’s BLE-equipped ULDs are an important part of this overall strategy and we are glad to have such a strong partner on our side.” 

AA Cargo also signed on to Jettainer’s “Cool Management” service last October. The service includes temperature-controlled ULD leasing, management, positioning and monitoring during transportation. Jettainer monitors its Cool Management program from its Abu Dhabi “Cool Center of Excellence” operation.