AirBridgeCargo Airlines and Unilode Aviation Solutions have extended their ULD management partnership to include the use of transmitting portable electronic devices for pallets and containers.

According to the two companies, Bluetooth Low Energy v.5.0 tracking and sensing devices will be firmly mounted to ULDs supplied and managed by Unilode and carried on board AirBridgeCargo’s Boeing 747 freighters. The monitoring devices will be used to track the ULDs, registering all environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, illumination and shock actions to guarantee 100% transparency of shipment data. Additionally, AirBridgeCargo will get accurate information from Unilode about the cargo’s status and location, whether in the air or on the ground.

AirBridgeCargo has already upgraded its online track and trace tool, introduced its 24/7 Control Tower to monitor the status of special cargo shipments, and reinforced its team at all levels.

“We are delighted to see our partnership with Unilode progressing and embracing new areas, such as IoT, which will not only facilitate data accuracy but also enhance digital customer experience with the provision of detailed information for each and every shipment,” said Sergey Lazarev, general director of AirBridgeCargo. “This is especially important for special cargo – pharmaceutical products, oversize and heavy goods, live animals, etc. With the penetration of digitalization taking place in the air cargo sector, we want to make sure that our customers get the full benefit of it, be it general cargo, abc pharma, abc XL or other specialist dedicated services.”

Both companies have reached agreements on the terms of BLE v. 5.0 usage, with the main work to be completed afterwards. AirBridgeCargo and Unilode are working on the rollout, making sure that all the ULDs are properly equipped with BLE v.5.0, Bluetooth readers are installed at the relevant locations such as warehouses and ground-handling premises, and dedicated IT infrastructure is set to capture signals for real-time cargo monitoring.

“AirBridgeCargo Airlines is Unilode’s loyal customer since 2004 and we are very pleased to work together in our digital transformation programme which will enhance Unilode’s ULD management with the most innovative solutions available in the market,” said Benoît Dumont, CEO of Unilode. “The BLE v.5.0 device is the most cost-effective solution for the transmission of shipment parameters with its primary benefits being improved speed and greater range. Thus, it operates faster and over greater distances than previous versions of Bluetooth. Unilode and AirBridgeCargo have been improving the quality of shipment data, which provides timely and detailed information to all stakeholders in the value chain.”