Virgin Atlantic Cargo has ordered 600 lightweight cargo nets from DSM Dyneema, the inventor and manufacturer of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibre, known as Dyneema.
Each net weighs 9kg, which is 4kg lighter than the current traditional net. This will contribute to the airline’s target of reducing aircraft CO2 emissions by 30% by 2020. The durable cargo nets have an operating life of five years as opposed to the current two or three years.
“The airline has a very proactive sustainability programme with clear goals and we are continually looking to meet our contribution to these targets,” said Paul Fallon, vice president of cargo operations and business development at Virgin Atlantic. “Last year we took delivery of our first lightweight cargo containers and using lightweight nets is another opportunity for us to reduce emissions. We expect to have some 1,800of these nets in use by the end of 2015.”
Fallon added that the carrier was looking at carrying out trials of the newest lightweight pallets to analyse the benefits they would offer.
Dyneema is up to 15 times stronger than steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibres, according to DSM Dyneema. It also floats on water and is durable and moisture-resistant, making it particularly suitable for use in cables, nets and ropes.
