Swiss WorldCargo customizes its business

Thanks to its history, Swiss people are extremely experienced when it comes to grassroot democracy. Controversial issues are often decided by direct referendum either at local, regional, or national level.

New product philosophy
With its new modular offer structure, the air freight division of SWISS translates the principles of direct democracy into daily cargo practice, commencing on 01JUL23. "Beginning that day, our customers will be able to tailor their shipping needs to our flexible shipping solutions," exclaims Head of Cargo, Lorenzo Stoll. He adds, "We are fully aligning our cargo business with the needs of each individual customer."

Tailored services can be booked by all Swiss WorldCargo customers, according to their specific transport requirements. What commodity is involved, do basic services suffice or are additional features required or desired to satisfy consignees needs regarding the journey of a shipment? These are basic questions customers need to consider before booking a transport, explains Mr. Stoll.

Many booking features
At first glance, this is a fairly straightforward model, but when taking a second look, it becomes quite complex. For example, in the case of a time- and temperature-critical pharmaceutical shipment, forwarders and/or shippers can decide if additional speed is required. This option will be available across the new branded product offerings, or – other example – should the status of a consignment be monitored from A to Z or  only occasionally?

Swiss Airtainer is on the advance
Simultaneously with its new product philosophy, the carrier pours money into a new IT landscape. Other focal points are sustainability initiatives and the rollover of the container fleet. On the latter aspect, Swiss WorldCargo just announced the launch of a new lightweight container developed by a Switzerland-based company called Swiss Airtainer. It is tailored to transport sensitive and temperature-critical products, such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, blood plasma or the broad range of medical goods. The box is equipped with a solar panel that powers its batteries for cooling the interior. It is an autonomously operating ULD enabling customers to monitor the status of their shipment regarding humidity conditions or temperatures inside the container throughout its journey. "Everything in real time," states Lorenzo Stoll.

Lower weight = less fuel needed
In addition to these features, the executive emphasizes the weight difference of the Swiss Airtainer container compared to products from other manufacturers. "Comparisons have shown that it weighs 250 kg less." This translates into lower greenhouse gas emissions because of the weight reduction. Hence, the collaboration with Swiss Airtainer supports Swiss WorldCargo in its sustainability efforts to reduce its ecological footprint. Following thorough field tests, the new cool box has achieved certification by EASA and FAA as a safe means of transport.

'The Airtainer recently made its maiden flight as part of a collaboration between Swiss Airtainer, Swiss WorldCargo and B.P.L. Biotech & Pharma Logistics, from Basel via Zurich to San Francisco. Currently, a small number of this type of special ULDs is available, Mr. Stoll points out. He adds to this that Swiss WorldCargo is proud to be part of this innovation and looks forward to the scaling effects that could extend the use of the Swiss Airtainer cool boxes in the air freight industry.

Heiner Siegmund


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