Amerijet International, one of the largest U.S. cargo carriers operating from the Miami International Airport, and logistics technology firm Quantum-South have completed a joint project that explored how to leverage aircraft loading optimisation to enhance cargo load factor and revenue per flight.

Quantum-South’s solution features an Aircraft Load Optimisation module which is designed to optimise container placement to maximise transported weight, volume, priority mix, or revenue mix, with a focus on Center of Gravity (CoG) optimisation.

Additionally, the Air Cargo Bin Packing module can select shipments for each flight to optimise the booked priority, with container assignment and precise instructions on how to build the container, such as the location and order of placement for each piece in the shipment.

Amerijet says the solution was seamlessly integrated with its cargo management system, powered by the SmartKargo backend application, further enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its cargo operations.

Amerijet operates a fleet of Boeing 757 and 767 freighter aircraft, providing cargo services from its primary hub in Miami to 48 destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America and Europe. Its global network reaches 476 destinations to all major airports in Europe, Asia, South Africa and the Middle East with seamless and transparent transportation solutions for customers shipping time-sensitive, valuable, hazardous and temperature-controlled commodities.

During the Proof of Concept (PoC) project, Quantum-South examined data from 451 flights. The solution identified loading alternatives that increased payload by up to 30 per cent and volume by up to 76 per cent. Quantum-South state that it successfully replaced a previous load plan consisting of containers such as PAGs and PQAs with an optimised plan utilising a variety of containers such as AKEs, TYPE A-1, TYPE A FRONT, and TYPE A AFT units.

Eric J. Wilson, chief commercial officer at Amerijet, said: “This substantial enhancement in cargo load factor can greatly enhance revenue per flight and increase opportunities for customers through more efficient use of capacity. We are pleased with the PoC project’s outcomes and foresee potential benefits across multiple areas.”

Dr. Rafael Sotelo, co-founder and president of Quantum-South, said: “The project’s success at Miami International Airport demonstrates the significant potential of our cutting-edge solution in optimising cargo load factors. We are excited to continue working with Amerijet International and uncover more optimisation opportunities to further enhance their operations.”

Amerijet states that it is committed to tackling challenges related to data structure and data quality while continuing to work on multi-piece shipment ordering and shipment handling code incompatibility restriction compliance. The company also plans to explore automated planning of areas such as oversize cargo, consolidated cargo, bulk cargo space, and B757 configurations.

Wilson added: “Optimising flight load plans and augmenting process efficiency helps us provide the best capacity offering to our customers while maximising the load of every flight.

“Quantum-South’s solution has the potential to bring significant benefits to our operations, increase revenues and reduce emissions, and we look forward to further collaboration to uncover more optimization opportunities.”