Nordisk celebrates 50 years in air cargo
In 2019, Nordisk Aviation Products celebrates 50 years in the air cargo industry. Since 1969, we have designed, developed and manufactured over 800,000 state-of-the-art Unit Load Devices (ULDs) and are global leader in our field. We supply almost every wide-bodied aircraft in the world and have the most extensive range of air cargo pallets and containers on the market today.
In the late 1960s, Boeing built the first 747s also known as the Jumbo Jet. With the Jumbo Jet, came the need for containing and loading luggage and cargo onboard aircrafts more efficiently. The solution was air cargo containers and pallets, also known as Unit Load Devices (ULDs). At the same time in Norway, the company Nordisk Aluminiumindustry, a supplier of aluminium car body parts, industrial tanks and cooking utensils, was seeking to expand into new markets.
Exciting opportunities in air cargo
Our story began in 1969, when Magnar Henriksen, a Bachelor of Commerce with several years of experience from SAS, was employed and given transportation as a focus area. Based on his experience from aviation, Magnar soon saw air cargo equipment as an exciting market offering great opportunities. Together with a handful of colleagues, he began a somewhat demanding campaign to convince the company management that aviation was the way forward.
Jan Christiansen, Technical Manager and Head of Product Development from 1970 to 2004 remembers, “It was not an easy task convincing the top management to stake money on air cargo pallets and containers. Through our mapping of the market, we soon understood that Nordisk’s own rolling mill could not produce the sheet sizes we required. Furthermore, at that time, Nordisk had little experience with finished goods production and sales. As Nordisk was a newcomer, we also knew that we had to develop a product that was different and offered more value to customers.”
Leading the industry
Despite opposition, in late August 1970 Henriksen got approval to go ahead, and this was the starting point of what we today know as Nordisk Aviation Products. Over the years, Nordisk Aviation Products has made many industry breakthroughs. We have researched, tested and implemented a wide range of different materials, we have designed and developed many new edges, extrusions, corners and spare parts; we have reduced weight, decreased emissions and cut costs; we have improved durability, compatibility and interchangeability and we have solved individual problems and found solutions for a multitude of challenges for hundreds of airlines across the globe.