OREANDA-NEWS.    In the Lufthansa Group, cargo and luggage is now transported with much lighter containers and thus more fuel-efficient. In the last three years Lufthansa Cargo has completely replaced its fleet of containers with lightweight containers made of extremely durable composite materials. These are now used in cargo and passenger aircraft instead of the previous aluminum containers. Their use saves fuel and reduces emissions.

The new standard containers are up to 15 percent lighter than their predecessors. The difference in weight of around 14 kg leads, by up to 500,000 movements per year, to an annual fuel savings of around 2,000 tons, which will relieve the environment of around 7,000 tons of CO2.

Compared to their predecessors, the new aluminum containers are not only considerably lighter, but also less prone to damage. "The new containers consist to almost 100 percent of plastic and are nevertheless extremely robust and durable", said Dr. Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht, Director of Operations at Lufthansa Cargo. That contributes to a reduction in repair costs.

With a total of 5,600 units, the Lufthansa Group has the world's largest fleet of lightweight containers, which are used for both the transportation of passenger baggage and cargo shipments. As early as 2012, Lufthansa Cargo was recognized for this commitment with the international environmental award OkoGlobe.