Status management of returnable assets in air cargo

Abstract

Compared to raw materials and parts, the importance of ULDs (unit load devices) is often disregarded, and the method of managing ULD is primitive compared to the management of other areas of logistics which adopts emerging technology such as RFID and USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network). Two major airlines in South Korea annually report the increasing numbers of missing ULD, and occasionally, they lost their sales opportunity due to the inaccurate information of ULD inventory. Basically, they manage the inventory by counting the quantity of ULD at the storage area without considering the status of ULD.