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AIR CARG O WEEK


I expect we’ll have more to share this autumn.” Smarter container tracking can significantly boost efficiency. “If


we reduce lost units by even one percent, that’s impactful. When we take over a fleet, we usually reduce it by 15 to 20 percent. In terms of utilisation, we’re 25 to 30 percent more efficient.” Breithaupt credits both technology and people. “It’s the mix of


experienced ULD controllers, our NG platform, and transparent airline messaging, enhanced by tracking.” AI is playing a growing role but has limits. “AI supports repetitive


ULD flow tasks and helps identify efficiency gains. But the priority is improving data quality and interpretation. For instance, we now better understand where units are repaired and how long they stay.” Predictive maintenance for ULDs remains tricky. “Damage isn’t


predictable like it is with engines. A forklift can crash into a new unit without warning,” he said. “AI can detect broad patterns, but not container-specific outcomes. Interpretation remains complex. We expect clearer advantages in the next 12 to 18 months.” Robotic automation in cargo handling is also limited. “Cargo


varies too much in shape and size. Robots work for integrators handling uniform boxes, not for general airfreight. However, AGVs and AMRs will likely shape air cargo’s future.” Much of automation, Breithaupt believes, will happen in the


HOW JETTAINER’S CEO SEES AI AND THE HUMAN FACTOR IN ULD MANAGEMENT


BY Anastasiya SIMSEK 02


IN a sector increasingly focused on automation, Jettainer is taking a different approach. For CEO Dr Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, who took the helm in June 2024, digitalisation and AI aren’t about replacing


people—they’re about enabling smarter decisions and greater efficiency in unit load device (ULD) management. “We are massively pushing forward the digitalisation of Jettainer,”


Breithaupt said. “Our data warehouse is completely renewed, and we launched the Jettainer NG platform in March.” The platform now includes sub-location tracking—turning container visibility into a tactical asset. “We’re constantly seeking technologies beyond BLE.


background—data sharing, administration, and stock management. Physical handling, however, will remain largely manual for the next decade. Jettainer is also evolving its workforce. “AI may replace some


ULD functions, but we’ll move staff from back offices to customer shop floors. They’ll help optimise handling and manage ULDs in real time.” This shift is strategic, not a downsizing. “These team members


will support lean management and workshops to improve efficiency. Some will retire or shift roles. What remains will be a stronger, customer-facing team.” Ground handling, especially in the Americas, poses challenges.


“ULDs are often mishandled—rubber doors cut, units dragged on floors. This leads to higher repair costs and more containers grounded. In contrast, damage rates in Europe and Japan are far lower.” Training is key, but continuity suffers due to high staff turnover.


“Eventually, GHAs must take ownership of ULD training. When knife damage becomes routine, the issue lies in operations leadership, not just on the warehouse floor.” To address inconsistencies in repair decisions, Jettainer has


trialled AI tools. At an IATA hackathon, it sponsored a challenge for an AI app that uses image recognition and prompts to assess container damage. “It helps handlers check severity and determine if a unit is non-serviceable,” Breithaupt explained.


Did You Know ? BY Michael SALES


BACK in 1180, a law was passed allowing Bermondsey


Street supposed Market to that


between 4 a.m. and sunset. This became known as the “thieves’ charter”, as devious criminals


impacting drivers,


open respectable


citizens would not be awake so early, and so stolen goods could be traded openly. This law was only repealed in 1994. Crime, in all its different forms, is as


old as humanity, but modern criminals are not only as ruthless and cunning as their ancestors, but also tech-savvy, especially when


stealing goods in


airfreight’s most vulnerable stage. The freight industry has been grappling


with a significant surge in cargo theft, particularly


through fraudulent means,


MEDIEVAL CRIME all


carriers of


stakeholders, and


freight e-commerce, which


including brokers.


Mostly, the statistics refer to vehicles or warehouses, nourished by expansion


the rapid is


complicating crime prevention efforts. Thousands of individual shipments are now replacing consolidations, in


floods of consignment are also to data penetrate increasing


resulting and


information from supply chain partners. Opportunities cybercriminals


transit—


chains and steal shipments. According to specialist insurer TT Club, this now represents around one-third of all cargo theft incidents—a substantial increase. Thieves, equipped with all the latest have


technology, become for supply


online scammers are impersonating banks and traders. TT Club’s managing director of loss prevention, Mike Yarwood, explained that while goods linked to freight crime could be “anything,” targeted goods were often adjacent to the market. For example, the Covid-19 era saw a rise


in the theft of hand gel, while electronics and tobacco are popular targets. To


combat the ever-present threat,


constant training is vital, so that warehouse staff and drivers are aware of the need for careful checking of all documents.


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cargo increasingly


sophisticated and are capable of impersonating genuine operators, just as


community system (A/PCCS) provides an encrypted digital platform that limits shipment data entry to only approved members and strictly controls the release of data—a major tool in restricting these mounting thefts.


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