All Nippon Airways announces worlds first lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic cargo containers

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has introduced lightweight, carbon fiber reinforced plastic cargo containers for the first time in the world, in a bid to reduce aircraft fuel consumption. The airline used carbon fiber reinforced plastic in the outer panels of cargo containers, successfully reducing their weight to around 70 kilograms — about 30 kilograms lighter than traditional ones made of aluminum — and improving their strength at the same time. Each container costs around 190,000 yen ($2215), about 50,000 yen ($583) more than aluminum ones.

ANA first introduced the new cargo containers mainly to its Narita-San Francisco route on July 29 and plans to replace all of its 1,900 containers for international flights in the future. When 44 containers are carried on a Boeing 777-300 aircraft, the containers are expected to allow the airline to cut some 1,272 kilograms of carbon dioxide and save about 516 liters of fuel on a one-way trip to San Francisco.