• AVILOAD’s automated guided vehicles tackle ULD bottlenecks by replacing manual forklifts and tugs, handling up to 600 pallets per day with continuous operation while reducing congestion, errors, and space constraints
• The system integrates with warehouse control software, offering real-time location tracking, operational KPIs, predictive analytics, and precision pick-up/drop-off to minimise damage and improve responsiveness
• AGVs provide flexible scalability for terminals, allowing incremental deployment without full infrastructure overhauls, and maintenance can be performed on individual units without halting operations

ULD handling may not grab headlines, but it’s the part of air cargo that gets noticed when it breaks down. From delayed flights to misplaced containers and workforce strain, the routine movement of pallets remains one of the most friction-prone aspects of airport logistics. So why haven’t terminals automated it more aggressively?

Part of the answer lies in legacy thinking. “Traditional systems rely heavily on manual labour using forklifts and tugs, which can be slow, error-prone, and labour-intensive,” says Alstef Group, developers of AVILOAD, a fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) designed to move ULDs and pallets without fixed conveyors. Their system is currently running at scale at the Air France Cargo hub, “30 AVILOAD AGVs handle 600 pallets per day across a 12-hectare hub, operating continuously.”

The broader question isn’t whether AGVs can automate ULD flow, they clearly can, but whether they address the right problems in an industry that has historically preferred concrete over code. For air cargo terminals stretched by space constraints, safety concerns, and uneven staffing, autonomous vehicles offer a shift in mindset as much as in mechanics.

From forklifts to fleets: breaking the ULD bottleneck

There’s no shortage of challenges AVILOAD claims to solve. According to Alstef, it “addresses congestion, manual handling risks, limited space, and inefficient routing by automating ULD transport with precision, safety, and optimal traffic flow.”

That includes “dynamic routing and decentralised AGV operations,” which, in contrast to fixed systems, aim to reduce bottlenecks and improve real-time responsiveness.

One key feature is precision handling. “AVILOAD achieves pick-up/drop-off accuracy of ±20 mm, reducing misalignment and damage risks.” The system is also “integrated with the OPAL warehouse control system” and “provides live location data, operational KPIs, and predictive analytics.”

On the maintenance side, the system is designed to avoid major disruptions. “Individual AGVs can be isolated and serviced without disrupting the entire system, ensuring continuous operation.”

But the real differentiator may not be technological. It’s architectural. Because the system only requires charging stations and Wi-Fi connectivity,” AVILOAD opens up automation to terminals that can’t justify greenfield overhauls. As Alstef puts it: “Terminals can start with a small fleet of AGVs and scale up as operations grow.”