Lighter containers reduce emissions

Using lighter containers for the transport of airfreight cargo not only saves costs but reduces carbon emissions considerably, making aviation a little greener. That was the motivation behind a recent project by Lufthansa Cargo which involved the use of 1 000 new lightweight containers on global routes. Construction of the containers from lighter composites than aluminium reduces their weight by 20%, according to a spokesman, lowering fuel burn and CO2 emissions appreciably. The new containers are made of glass fibre, Kevlar fibre or Dyneema® sourced from different manufacturers. “By 2020 we aim to reduce our specific fuel consumption by 25%,” said Lufthansa Cargo chairman Carsten Spohr.