UPS has ordered 1,821 fire-resistant air freight shipping containers, offering “unprecedentedprotection” from intense fires, with the delivery process starting this September and to be
completed early next year.The company claimed that introducing these unit load devices (ULDs) was a ‘milestone in aviationhistory’. UPS Chief Operating Officer David Abney said: “These containers are a game changer, bothfor UPS and the industry as a whole. They represent a quantum leap forward in safety, an area whereUPS places the highest emphasis.”
Deborah Hersman, Chairman of the US’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) added thatfire onboard an aircraft had been a top concern for NTSB for a long time. “We commend UPS forimplementing this real-world solution that addresses our recommendations.”
The containers are built with a “revolutionary” new panel material, MacroLite, which is afibre-reinforced plastic composite similar to the material used in ballistic body armour. UPS andthe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have conducted burn testing showing that a ULD withMacroLite panels can contain a fire with a peak temperature of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (600Degrees Celsius) for more than four hours. This would give a flight crew enough time to land safelyin case of an in-flight fire, UPS stressed.
“We have tested these containers in the laboratory and in live operations. They will enhancesafety and increase durability, and they are lighter, which will reduce fuel burn and supports ourongoing sustainability efforts,” UPS Airlines President Mitch Nichols explained.
The new containers are part of fire safety enhancements recommended by the UPS IndependentPilots Association Safety Task Force. Other safety enhancements implemented by UPS include 575 firecontainment covers for cargo pallets that can contain a 1,200-degree fire for four hours.
The company is also installing quick-donning, full-face oxygen masks for pilots which can be puton with one hand in three seconds throughout its air fleet by the end of 2014. To round off themeasures, it has completed the Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS) for pilots on its 747-400freighters. It enables them to see their instruments, and out of the front window, when smoke ispresent.
