Mar 27, 2017: Cargolux Airlines has signed an agreement with German company Trinkaus-Solutions for the use of its squAIR-timber product. Cargolux is the first airline worldwide to introduce the lightweight material in its operation and currently uses it on all pharma shipments out of Luxembourg.

The cardboard fiber composite beams only contain raw materials from sustainable sources that differs significantly from conventional corrugated products and provides an excellent economic and ecological long term replacement for wooden material.

Lars Syberg, EVP Global Logistics, Cargolux, said,“The use of modern, environmentally-conscious tools in air cargo underlines our standing as a green cargo carrier at a time when many of our customers put more emphasis on working with a partner who is aware of its responsibility towards the world we live in. In addition, Trinkaus-Solutions provides us with products that make Cargolux more efficient and faster with the added advantage of lower costs. It’s an all-round winner for us.”

According to Trinkaus-Solutions the beams have a load capacity of up to 10 tonnes. At the same time, they are significantly lighter than the conventional wooden beams they replace, with a weight of only 1.2 kilograms per meter. They are also resistant to humidity.

At the same time, this new solution is 80 percent lighter than the conventional wood it replaces, thus allowing more payload and a lower fuel consumption of Cargolux’s aircraft, which directly translates to lower aircraft engine emissions. Cargolux estimates that the use of squAIR-timber has the potential to reduce its fuel consumption by roughly 1,200 tons per year, lower fuel consumption of Cargolux’s aircraft, which directly results in lower aircraft engine emissions.

In addition, squAIR-timber solution enables shorter build up times, eliminating the need for forklifts as they can easily be handled by one person. They can be reused and are 100 percent recyclable with lower disposal costs than wooden materials.

With the squAIR-timber product, Cargolux offers its customer an enhanced and more flexible service by using environmentally-friendly materials.