Sonoco ThermoSafe strengthens presence in ULD sector

Sonoco ThermoSafe, a temperature assurance packaging company, and AirBridge Cargo Airlines have signed a master lease agreement to offer Sonoco ThermoSafe’s new Pegasus unit load device (ULD) bulk temperature-controlled container directly to its customers.

The Pegasus ULD. Credit: Sonoco ThermoSafe

This comes after the Pegasus ULD creator reached a development and manufacturing partnership with AeroTuf last year. The device uses AeroTuf's patented Aerotherm composite material technology.

Pegasus ULD is also the first passive bulk temperature-controlled container approved for pharmaceutical use. Its FAA clearance, Sonoco ThermoSafe says, allows the device to speed through existing international ground handling and customs processes at the lowest possible cost.

With the composite-material engineering, Pegasus offers a lighter solution that is described as “substantially more damage resistant than traditional metal containers.” It also contains a fully integrated, FAA-approved telemetry system. The system, the company says, provides real-time, cloud-based data on payload and ambient temperature and environmental factors, synchronized with GPS location.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines, part of Volga-Dnepr Group, is the largest Russian cargo airline. It operates scheduled cargo services on routes between Russia, Asia, Europe and North America.