Jettainer creates U.S. division to manage ULDs

A month after securing a five-year contract to manage and maintain ULDs for Ft. Worth-based American Airlines Cargo, Germany’s Jettainer has established a beachhead in the North American market with a new division, Jettainer Americas Inc., located in Delaware.

The new division plans to open other branch offices across the United States, beginning with Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW), which is the largest hub for AA Cargo’s parent, American Airlines Group, the world’s largest airline following its merger with US Airways. Jettainer, which had been handling ULD equipment and maintenance for US Airways since 2005, will now take on the management of American Airlines’ 15,000 additional ULDs.

Other planned locations for Jettainer Americas will include Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) and Los Angeles (LAX). The ULD handler will also introduce new “ground operation supervisors” at each location to manage all coordination efforts with the airline via its “JettApp” application, which can track the movements of each ULD.

“The American continent is one of the most important growth markets for us,” said Carsten Hernig, managing director of Jettainer. “That’s why we are investing in our on-site presence.” 

Jettainer said it will replace many of AA Cargo’s older ULDs with newer, lightweight containers by March 2015. The new ULDs, Jettainer says, will save more than 500,000 gallons of fuel and cut carbon dioxide emissions by over 5,000 metric tons annually, due to the containers’ reduced weight.

Jettainer, a wholly owned ULD management subsidiary of Frankfurt-based Lufthansa Cargo, currently manages a global fleet of 85,000 ULDs and hold service contracts with 15 airlines.