Kalitta Air and Air Atlanta Icelandic have extended their deployment of CHAMP’s Cargospot Weight & Balance solution to support live operations with the Boeing 777-300ERSF. Both airlines are aiming for greater operational consistency while simplifying load planning, training and fleet management by managing the new freighter through the same centralized platform already in use across their existing fleets.
The move is in response to the 777-300ERSF entering service to meet a growing demand for cargo capacity. Kalitta Air is the first operator of the aircraft in the world and Air Atlanta Icelandic is the second global operator and the first in Europe.
Kalitta Air is using the freighter to help strengthen key cargo links between the United States and Japan. Meanwhile, Air Atlanta Icelandic is using the aircraft as a cargo bridge between Asia and Europe. High volume capacity makes precise load planning particularly important, so that operators can maximize payload and make better use of available aircraft capacity.
One platform for all fleets
Instead of setting up a separate load-planning environment for the 777-300ERSF, the two carriers are extending their existing Cargospot Weight & Balance configurations to the new aircraft.
This integrated approach provides a consistent digital working environment for loadmasters. Whether they are preparing an operation with an existing aircraft or with the new 777-300ERSF, the planning process is automated, standardized and optimized.
“Also, running different types of aircraft through a known system also reduces the need for extra training.” It can help mitigate the opportunity for human error when loadmasters have to shift between various planning tools and workflows.
Cargospot Weight & Balance’s autoload function can perform complex weight-distribution calculations for the 777-300ERSF in seconds. This helps streamline the loading process, reduce time on the ground and improve overall aircraft utilization across the fleets.
Also, correct load distribution is important to keep the center of gravity in the right place. The system can help use fuel more efficiently by continuously optimizing aircraft balance, supporting operating-cost objectives and the airlines’ wider sustainability goals.
Back the 777-300ERSF from day one
The integration was particularly critical for Kalitta Air, the worldwide launch operator of the 777-300ERSF. Kalitta Air’s chief loadmaster Toby Ray said the carrier wanted a weight and balance solution that could support the aircraft from the start without requiring loadmasters to abandon processes already in place across its fleet.
“By leveraging CHAMP’s Cargospot Weight & Balance platform, our loadmasters can operate in a familiar environment, increase planning efficiency and maximize payload capability while supporting fuel efficiency,” Ray added.
“Having the entire fleet in one system has made training easier, improved operational consistency and helped support the successful entry into service of the 777-300ERSF,” he said.
Air Atlanta Icelandic is doing something similar, operating a mixed fleet. “The implementation of Cargospot Weight & Balance on the new freighter has simplified workflows, while still providing the flexibility needed for the aircraft’s unique operational requirements,” said Magnús Magnússon, Chief Loadmaster at Air Atlanta.
“We need a flexible and accurate load planning solution to operate a fleet of different vehicles,” said Magnússon. He said the unified strategy not only strengthens load-planning processes but also allows for the continued development of the airline’s cargo business.
CHAMP sees solution as part of broader cargo strategy
CHAMP views its work with the two carriers as part of a larger effort to help freighter airlines digitize and automate critical operational processes.
“The platform brings together sophisticated calculations and intuitive controls that have been designed for loadmasters,” said Khaled Chamsuddine, product manager, aircraft operations, CHAMP’s Cargospot Weight & Balance.
The company’s partnership with Kalitta Air and Air Atlanta Icelandic will help forward-thinking cargo operators maximize aircraft performance safely and efficiently from day one of operation, he said.
The rollout of Cargospot Weight & Balance for the 777-300ERSF for both airlines is not just adding a new aircraft type. That places the new freighter in the same operating environment as their existing fleets and creates a common load planning system as they grow their cargo networks in an evolving airfreight market.
