Air, Freight News, IT

Cathy keeps electronic tags on cargo

[ June 30, 2021   //   Chris ]

Cathay Pacific Cargo is introducing its Bluetooth-based Ultra Track service in a phased introduction at 29 airports across the globe. It uses the Descartes Core Bluetooth low energy network tags and readers, allowing customers to monitor shipments in near real-time on the airport-to-airport leg of the journey. It is the first Cathay Pacific internet of things application that enables remote connection to shipments.

The data from the inflight segment of the journey collated from the flight is transmitted as soon as the Bluetooth device comes into contact with a reader on arrival, and Ultra Track will show the aircraft’s progress using data from Flightradar24.

Ultra Track is suitable for pharmaceutical, perishable and other vulnerable shipments. The loggers record and transmit data to Bluetooth readers in the cargo terminal and on the airside ramp area. Data includes GPS location and temperature – and depending on the type of shipment, this can be extended to include light, humidity (for example, for cut[1]flower shipments) and vibration.

As well as shippers, the carrier’s Operations Control Centre also monitors shipments and can instruct ramp and cargo terminal staff to take proactive steps and corrective actions in the event of, for example, a temperature excursion. Customers can communicate with the OCC team directly using live chat.