Operations Launched: Jettainer Starts ULD Management for Thomas Cook Group Airlines

FRANKFURT, GERMANY--(Marketwired - Dec 17, 2015) - Jettainer and Thomas Cook Group Airlines are expanding their cooperation. The leading international service partner for outsourced ULD management has started steering and maintaining all the containers and pallets for Thomas Cook Group Airlines. The new contract not only covers Condor, a Jettainer customer since 2006, but also Thomas Cook Airlines UK and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia. As a result, all the carriers' ULDs will now be looked after by the same service partner.

Jettainer is now responsible for steering, positioning, repairing and maintaining more than 1,800 ULDs (pallets and containers) overall for Thomas Cook Group Airlines. The ULD specialist uses particularly modern and environmentally-friendly containers as part of this process. Both the standard units (AKE model) and also the larger containers (DQF model) have been switched to extremely light versions weighing just 58 and 99 kilogrammes. This way Jettainer improves the climate footprint of the carriers.

"As a result of extending this contract to cover further carriers, the airlines in our group are taking another step in growing together," says Christian Schmitt, Director of Aircraft & Ground Operations at Thomas Cook Group Airlines. "The encouraging factor here is that we're not only pooling our activities, but this agreement is also helping us in our efforts to achieve eco-friendly operations," Schmitt adds.

"We're proud that our many years of cooperation with Condor have been able to persuade further carriers about the quality and efficiency of our services. By expanding our activities to the Thomas Cook Group airlines, we've been able to enhance our market share and continue our global growth course," says Carsten Hernig, Managing Director of Jettainer.

Two of the lightweight containers in use will receive a special film wrap with a special floral design to mark the agreement's launch with Jettainer. "This design underlines the idea of sustainability behind using the new containers," says Martin Kraemer, Head of Marketing & PR and the Environmental Officer at Jettainer. Both the containers will initially be used by Condor and Thomas Cook Airlines UK.

Thomas Cook Group Airlines

Thomas Cook Group Airlines consists of four leisure carriers, which transport their customers to the most attractive vacation destinations around the globe: Thomas Cook Airlines UK, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and Condor Flugdienst GmbH. The airlines within the corporate group carry 17.2 million passengers per annum and generate total turnover of £2.7 billion. The combined fleet has 93 aircraft. The modernisation of the cabins of all the planes costing £100 million and the purchase of the new A321 aircraft have been the largest investments in the airline companies and passenger comfort in the history of the Thomas Cook Group. The fleet of Thomas Cook Group Airlines will have 25 brand-new A321 aircraft by the middle of 2016. Extremely modern engine technology and optimised aerodynamics guarantee less kerosene consumption, lower CO₂ emissions and improvements in noise protection.

Jettainer

Jettainer GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG. The company is currently responsible for the management, steering, positioning, repair and maintenance of a fleet of about 90,000 units, so-called Unit Load Devices (ULDs), for 19 airlines. Jettainer operates at more than 450 airports around the globe. It has its headquarters in Raunheim near Frankfurt Airport, but also has offices at its customer's international hubs in Abu Dhabi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dusseldorf, Philadelphia, Rome and Zurich as well as an operations base in Mumbai. It also has its own company in the USA, Jettainer Americas Inc. with its headquarters in Delaware and branches in Dallas, Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

Jettainer covers the complete value chain of ULD management -- ranging from purchasing ULDs to managing and repairing them and even making available customised IT solutions and financing concepts. Jettainer rounds off its services package with JettLease, a leasing product for ULD emergencies. The company is certified according to the ISO 14001 environmental management system and the ISO 9001 quality management standard.