Etihad Cargo has tapped Jettainer for a five-year contract to continue to provide and manage unit load devices (ULDs) for the carrier.

Jettainer has managed and maintained Etihad Cargo's customized ULD fleet since 2011.

In a statement, Etihad said following a comprehensive analysis that identified business development opportunities for the airline, the ULD management firm will digitalize Etihad Cargo's entire ULD fleet and equip it with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) tags.

"Over the past decade, the two partners have carried out a series of digital transformation projects and launched innovation initiatives to achieve continuous improvements in processes and quality," the UAE-based carrier said, adding that Jettainer is now taking the partnership one step further after comprehensive analysis on the requirements of Etihad Cargo and its customer and is equipping the airline's entire ULD fleet with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) tags.

Etihad said the tags will enable Etihad Cargo to collect and use meaningful data for its business development and further automate processes.

"Despite the challenges the air freight and cargo sectors have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Etihad Cargo has continued to grow and evolve. It has been critical for us to work with partners who understand our objectives and can help us achieve our ambitious targets. The Jettainer team has been offering us reliable and innovative services around the clock to meet our needs for over ten years now," said Thomas Schürmann, head of cargo Operations and Delivery at Etihad Cargo.

"The solutions offered by Jettainer have contributed to our success in continuously improving and optimizing Etihad Cargo's ULD fleet, which has enabled us to reduce costs and gain efficiencies. As the market has evolved, so has Etihad Cargo, and we are confident Jettainer can continue to support us in delivering world-class services to our partners and customers," Schürmann added.

Embracing digitalization

Thorsten Riekert, Jettainer's chief sales officer noted the importance of a digitalization strategy.

"It's important to us that we embrace innovation and digitalization. That's why we are equipping our customers' ULD fleets with tracking technology where it is meaningful – and that's exactly what we've seen at Etihad Cargo," Riekert said.

"Our longstanding partnership and our recent contract extension with Etihad Cargo confirms that we work well together and further motivates us to continue offering outstanding service and achieve additional growth together in the future," he added.