Air freight transport is to be made more resource-efficient and efficient with the use of AI

Making the future of air freight more efficient and environmentally friendly - that is the goal of the German-Luxembourg project "eCargo - efficient cargo packing", in which the Institute for Aircraft Production Technology at the Technical University of Hamburg is also involved. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), loading methods and packing structures are to be optimized and packaging controls made easier. The project is also developing the necessary sensors for this. For example, factors such as the weight and load-bearing capacity of individual cargo items can be taken into account in real time in order to develop new loading strategies. These should make it possible to fully utilize cargo space in aircraft and avoid unused space. The TU Hamburg is concentrating on improving the loading of air freight pallets.

The "eCargo" project is planned for three years. A technical demonstrator will soon be set up in Hamburg to test the optimized processes. A joint demonstration by all project partners is planned for 2027.

The project partners include the sensor manufacturers ITConcepts and ESPACE2001, the software and automation specialists 3D.aero and the air freight experts Köhl Maschinenbau and Lödige. The launch event in Berlin in June was attended by Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and the German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, among others.