Alaska Air Cargo Implementing Scanner-Based Cargo Tracking

Alaska Air Cargo is implementing a scanner-based cargo tracking system to give customers more timely information about the arrival of shipments on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. The airlines, which transport more than 500,000 pieces of cargo annually, are the first U.S. passenger carriers to implement the service.

Using scanner-equipped cellular devices, the airlines scan cargo when it arrives at its final destination. The arrival information is wirelessly uploaded to the airlines’ cargo data management system and to alaskaair.com, allowing customers to track arrival information online in near real time. Cargo arrivals previously were tracked manually, delaying the information provided to customers.

"This system gives customers better visibility into where their cargo is and when it’s ready for pickup," said Matt Yerbic, Alaska’s managing director of cargo. "This is one of many innovations Alaska Air Cargo will roll out in 2008 to make our services easier to use and provide the real-time information demanded by the logistics industry."

The airlines have implemented arrival scanning at 80 percent of their cargo service locations and plan full deployment by May. The service is available to commercial and retail customers using any of Alaska Air Cargo’s services: Gold Streak Package Express, Priority Air Freight, General Air Freight and Animal Express.

The service is enabled by Sprint Nextel phones equipped with AirClic software and scanning devices, and by the cargoSPOT cargo data management system.

The project is part of Alaska Air Cargo’s $100 million investment to upgrade its cargo fleet and modernize its infrastructure. Alaska Airlines recently retrofitted five Boeing 737-400 aircraft into cargo configurations, increasing the carrier’s overall cargo capacity by 20 percent.

Transporting more than 150 million pounds of cargo annually, Alaska Air Cargo is the most extensive air cargo operation on the U.S. West Coast of any passenger airline. Alaska Airlines transports about 30 million pounds of fresh Alaska seafood from Alaskan fishing communities to Seattle, the Pacific Northwest and beyond each year.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air together serve 92 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

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SOURCE: Alaska Airlines