Finnair Cargo signed a five-year contract with CHAMP Cargosystems, formed by SITA and Cargolux last year, for the provision of electronic cargo management applications.

The CHAMP solution will cover the cargo operations and revenue accounting processes of Finnair Cargo. CHAMP Cargosystems supplies a "complete product portfolio for our requirements," said Kristian Voss, assistant vice president for information technology at Finnair Cargo.

The CHAMP system is Web browser-based and covers reservations and the management of warehousing, ULDs, schedules, reporting, and track and trace. "Finnair is one of the rare breed of profitable airlines expanding its cargo activities," said John Johnston, CEO of CHAMP Cargosystems.

Finnair Cargo has a dedicated fleet of 70 aircraft operating out of Helsinki to 60 destinations around the world. Half of Finnair Cargo's revenue from route operations is derived from Asian traffic.

SITA merged with Cargolux's CHAMP last year. The venture is 51 percent owned by SITA, with Cargolux controlling the remaining 49 percent.

China Cargo Airlines inked a similar, four-year agreement with CHAMP earlier this year.