Unit load device (ULD) outsource company Unilode Aviation Solutions has successfully completed an in-flight trial of its ULD tracking solution.
In collaboration with its strategic partner OnAsset Intelligence, Unilode tested its smart-phone app which allows tracking of its Bluetooth equipped ULDs by connecting to the Wi-Fi network on aircraft.
The trial, which was conducted on a flight from Hong Kong to Zurich, demonstrated the Bluetooth connection between container tag and smartphone is functioning across flight decks.
Data transmitted throughout the flight included – besides geolocation – information on temperature, humidity and light in the aircraft belly.
Unilode says the proven capability of end-to-end air cargo tracking will “open up new avenues” in transportation safety by allowing live in-flight temperature monitoring and automated load sequencing control before take-off.
The trial signals also the non-proprietary Bluetooth technology selected by Unilode will be able to bring affordable and reliable IoT technology to the world of ULD management.
Unilode is undergoing a massive digital transformation programme and is equipping its fleet of 140,000 ULDs with Bluetooth based tracking devices. Customers will benefit by gaining access to ULD tracking data and additional information such as temperature and shock records.
Unilode CEO, Benoît Dumont said the mobile in-flight tracking application is a “great example of the co-creation powers between industry leaders”.
“Mobile tracking applications have been offered by a number of ULD service providers since 2017 but have rarely been adopted, because they miss what customers really need: end-to-end transparency at their fingertips,” he said.
“We at Unilode are proud to have developed with our strategic partner a mobile application, which meets the customers’ needs and underpins Unilode’s ambition to bring affordable supply chain transparency to the aviation industry.”
