Cathay Cargo Leveraged Descartes Air Cargo Tracking Solution to Help Support Safe Journey of Giant Pandas


MELBOURNE, Australia and ATLANTA, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that Cathay Cargo, a global provider of air freight services, leveraged Descartes’ Bluetooth® Low Energy air cargo tracking solution for real-time condition and location monitoring of Giant Pandas An An and Ke Ke as they were safely transported from Chengdu, China to Hong Kong. The pandas arrived at Hong Kong’s international airport on September 26, 2024.

“We’re excited that our technology played a role in the safe arrival of such a special shipment from Chengdu to Hong Kong,” said Frank Hung, VP Sales and Marketing at Descartes. “With our advanced IoT-based tracking capabilities, our customers are not only able to monitor the location of their shipments in real-time, but also shipment conditions such as temperature, light, vibration and humidity—which takes on an even more important dimension for Cathay Cargo in this unique situation.”

Cathay Cargo has used the Descartes solution as part of its Ultra Track cargo tracking service since 2021. The solution helps the air cargo carrier provide customers with real-time shipment location and condition status for airport-to-airport moves of high value goods such as electronics, perishables and pharmaceuticals. The Ultra Track service is available in 29 airports across Cathay Cargo’s network.

The Descartes air cargo tracking solution is designed to help airlines and ground handling agents (GHA) provide forwarding and shipper customers with end-to-end shipment visibility. Descartes Bluetooth® Low Energy powered tags placed on Unit Load Devices (ULD) or pallets provide location and condition status data that is captured by Descartes Bluetooth® Low Energy readers. Readers are part of the Descartes global Internet of Things (IoT) network and a Descartes Global Logistics Network™ service. Shipment status can be tracked whether goods are in the air or on the ground to help the air cargo community automate the end-to-end tracking of freight location and shipment status information such as precise temperature, movement, shock, light and humidity.

“We’re pleased to have supported Cathay Cargo in this extraordinary endeavor,” said Scott Sangster, General Manager, Logistics Service Providers at Descartes. “Customers with temperature-controlled, time-sensitive and other specialized cargo expect to be kept informed of the location, condition, and chain of custody of their air shipment throughout its journey. By building out our IoT network in more geographies, deploying active readers across more locations and expanding the reach of the network, we’re helping the air cargo industry meet requirements for real-time, multi-dimensional cargo visibility and facilitate more secure, efficient, and responsive logistics operations.”

About Cathay Cargo

Cathay Cargo is the air-freight business division of the Cathay Group and one of the leading air-cargo operators in the world, operating from its hub in Hong Kong. Cathay Cargo provides services to more than 90+ cargo destinations around the world, operating a dedicated freighter fleet of 14 Boeing 747-8F and six 747-400ERFs (Extended Range Freighter) aircraft, in addition to cargo space on Cathay Pacific’s large fleet of passenger aircraft. The Cargo division also includes Air Hong Kong, an express cargo carrier operating in partnership with DHL, and manages Cathay Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport. It is also the cargo general sales agent for the Cathay Group’s low-cost carrier HK Express. Cathay is a member of the Swire Group and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE). For more information, please visit www.cathaycargo.com.

About Descartes

Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack                                                                     
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025                                 
cstrohack@descartes.com  

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ air cargo solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.