Products & Services

Our ULD Fleet

We have more than 45'000 ULDs in our fleet, a mix of containers and pallets.

The majority of our ULDs are branded with the Unitpool logo and our own IATA code, R7.

Lightweight LD3 Containers (CHEP Aerospace's ZKE)

There are many airlines looking to improve the efficiency of their aircraft fleets (especially with regards to fuel consumption) with models like the A350, A380 and the B777 and B787. These changes will have an impact on the demand for LD3, and in order to get the full benefit on fuel consumption for these long-range airliners, focus will be to combine the effort with lightweight units. For example, a fleet of five wide-body aircraft flying an average of 12 hours each day and carrying lightweight containers can save up to US$170,000 per annum in fuel costs, while also reducing approximately 540 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

Today, most of our LD3 fleet is aluminium.  This will however change in the months to come as we embark on a programme to reduce the overall weight of our units, especially as it pertains to LD3 containers.  One of our pooling customers, Air Transat has recently converted to a lightweight container fleet and is experiencing significant benefits, which include cost and energy savings. 

Our Service Standards

From experience with our customers, airworthiness and availability of units, especially during season peaks (such as Christmas, Easter, Mid-term Break, etc) stand out as the most important operational factors.

Airworthiness:  CHEP Aerospace’s track record with regards to repairs and ULD maintenance is of the highest level.  All our repair partners are certified and we ensure, through regular audits, that the quality of work is duly maintained.   

Units Availability:  Unit availability during season peaks, as well as timetable changes, is a challenge for everyone, but even more so with limited staff and limited sources to position stock. Standard Operating Procedure at CHEP Aerospace Solutions is as follows: some time ahead of “the” day, we analyse expected load factors, establish the ULD requirements for the period, and start disposition process ahead of time for the peak.  Because of thorough planning, typically more than one carrier with similar aircraft calling key stations, and a wide scope of logistics providers, we are able to act quickly with the positioning of the units.  Also, supervision on the ground becomes critical during these peak periods, in order to keep stock mis-utilisation to a minimum.