Qatar Airways renews ULDs

FIRE IN THE BELLY

AIR CARGO • QATAR AIRWAYS IS TAKING AN AGGRESSIVE POLICY TOWARDS THE RISKS POSED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES ON ITS AIRCRAFT, PLANNING TO REPLACE ITS ENTIRE ULD FLEET

QATAR AIRWAYS CARGO has announced plans to replace its entire fleet of more than 10,000 unit load devices (ULDs) over the next five years with Safran Cabin’s newly developed Fire Resistant Containers (FRCs). The first batch of FRCs arrived in Doha at the end of September and the airline says it expects to replace some 70 per cent of its fleet by the end of 2022.

The decision to switch to the new containers stems from Qatar Airways’ vested interest in preventing safety issues related to the increasing risk posed by lithium battery shipments. Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways, raised the issue in his keynote presentation at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) recent World Cargo Symposium in Dublin, saying: “As a leading cargo airline, we put the safety of our passengers and employees first. Due to the increased transport of devices with lithium ion batteries in ULDs, we were looking for a solution that prevents incidents in containers used for the handling and storage of baggage, as well as the transportation of cargo goods. Thorough testing has validated the absolute fire resistance of Safran Cabin’s new FRC containers, and we are very pleased to roll out this solution in our belly-hold fleet within such a short period of time.”

SIX HOURS OF SAFETY Safran Cabin was also responding to those rising concerns, expressed by many airlines and crew, over the safe transport by air of lithium ion batteries and all the various types of equipment that contain them. The development of the Class-D FRC design is an extension of its portfolio of cargo ULDs, complementing existing models designed to contain Class-A fires, involving ‘ordinary’ combustible products such as paper and cardboard.

Safran Cabin’s FRCs are designed to resist a lithium-based fire for six hours and are equipped with an innovative ‘SEN’ (‘Secure, Ergonomic and Non-Velcro’) door made of high impact-resistant materials and without the use of Velcro, making the container easy to maintain and optimising the cost of ownership.

Pascal Piveteau, senior vice-president of Safran Cabin’s cargo and catering division, states: “We are delighted to bring this innovation to the market together with Qatar Airways Cargo as one of our key partners for pallets and container solutions for more than 15 years. The project started at the end of 2019, and was finished in record time to support Qatar Airways Cargo’s replacement plans.

“Together, we are contributing to the setup of new standards for a safer aviation environment,” Piveteau adds. “We are also honoured by the trust our esteemed customer has expressed in this major project, which constitutes one of the largest-ever airline ULD fleet replacements, especially in these challenging times.”

Safran Cabin, which is based near Paris, began life as a manufacturer of aircraft engines but now specialises in hightechnology solutions for the aviation, defence and space markets. In the airline sector it designs, certifies, manufactures and supports innovative aircraft cabin interiors, equipment and systems. It is active worldwide with some 76,000 employees and achieved sales of €16.5bn in 2020. www.qrcargo.com www.safran-group.com