Lisbon-based TAP Portugal has signed a four-year outsourcing agreement with CHEP Aerospace Solutions to upgrade the flag carrier’s unit load devices (ULDs) to newer models that are expected to reduce the airline’s fuel costs by as much as €2.5 million over the length of the contract.
Under the agreement, Zurich-based CHEP will assume control and maintenance of TAP’s 3,500 aluminum ULDs and galley carts and add them to their pool of cargo containers, which are serviced by 50 repair stations worldwide. Over time, CHEP also will replace TAP’s ULDs with lightweight containers that will require less fuel to transport, thus reducing carbon emissions by 11,000 tonnes over the next four years.
“We were looking for a fully outsourced solution from a hands-on ULD management company that will provide us with significant cost savings and minimal intervention from our staff,” said Jorge Pi Massip, director of TAP Portugal’s Lisbon hub. “Our in-depth due diligence process and analyses confirmed that a partnership with CHEP will reduce TAP Portugal’s ULD fleet size by approximately 15 percent, and we can benefit from the synergies with CHEP’s global ULD pool.”
CHEP Aerospace Solutions President, Ludwig Bertsch, added that TAP will be able to communicate with a “dedicated account manager in Lisbon” to coordinate the movement of the ULDs and ensure that the airline can focus on its core business of flying passengers and cargo.
TAP Portugal currently operates a total of 79 aircraft, flying to 90 destinations in 38 countries in Europe, Africa, North America and South America. Its wide-body fleet includes fourteen A330-200s and four A340-300s.