Luxembourg:  July 27th 2020: Vallair, the mature aircraft and asset specialist, and launch customer for the A321 freighter conversion (A321F), has signed an MoU with CHAMP Cargosystems to develop the first cargo management system for its prototype freighter conversion.  Based in Luxembourg, CHAMP is one of the leading suppliers of integrated IT solutions for the air cargo industry.

Vallair has been engaged in cargo conversions since 2015 and is the launching lessor of the Airbus A321 freighter. The partnership between Vallair and CHAMP will be a collaboration and pooling of resources to provide CHAMP’s Weight and Balance system for the new Airbus A321Fs and to establish a reliable e-freight system which can be utilised in conjunction with all of Vallair’s future A321F conversions. Being able to offer CHAMP data and information on both the A321P2F and the A321PCF freighters will allow Vallair to contribute to a comprehensive cargo management system which is bespoke to these freighter variants.  This package will then be offered as a cost effective, load efficient solution to their customers in conjunction with digitalised tracking of all cargo.

“The Airbus A321F is a new product and, as such, it is necessary to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable our customers to use it efficiently,” says Gregoire Lebigot, CEO of Vallair. “As the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly freighter currently available, we see the A321F as the future of e-commerce offering the biggest volume in its class and 20% reduction in fuel burn. The combination of our experience, and CHAMP’s cargo management software, will enable us to offer our customers cost effective, load efficient solutions for their cargo requirements. As a result of COVID we have seen a surge in the air cargo industry driven by the demands of e-commerce, and the capacity and efficiency of the A321F gives it the competitive edge over other freighters currently available.”

As well as offering a higher volumetric capacity, the lower cargo hold on the A321F allows for the transit of ten containers in addition to the fourteen cargo positions available on the upper cargo deck; this ability to offer containerised cargo, increases efficiency by reducing turn around times.

“CHAMP is delighted to enter into this new partnership with Vallair and we are proud to be supporting not only a market leader but also another Luxembourg based company,” says Arnaud Lambert, CEO of CHAMP Cargosystems. “Digitalisation has been the focus of the air cargo industry for the last five years and our customers are really seeing the benefits of our cargo management digital solutions as they come into fruition. Weight and Balance is a proven powerful, yet intuitive-to-use digital solution for advanced load planning and is designed to optimise aircraft loading while ensuring regulatory compliance, minimise turnaround, make maximum use of available space, and reduce fuel burn. Currently there is no software for the A321F as it is a brand-new conversion, and we are excited to partner with Vallair and be the first to offer this solution to the market.”