Envirotainer's new RAP e2, the next generation of e-technology air cargo containers for highly sensitive healthcare products, has successfully delivered its first commercial shipment.

The milestone first shipment ' which followed airworthiness certification of the RAP e2 last year by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ' was carried by Air France-KLM Cargo on a KLM passenger flight from Amsterdam to New York for TEVAPharmachemie, an international pharmaceutical company.

Extreme weather conditions in Europe and the US provided the ideal opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of the new container. With flight delays due to poor weather, the container was stored in the warehouse and connected to the mains while awaiting the next available flight. No other precaution was necessary to protect its sensitive and valuable cargo as the RAP e2 electrical heating and cooling container only needs electrical power to run - either from its own internal batteries or from the power grid. Over several days the container kept the temperature at the desired level before it was shipped to the US when improved weather conditions permitted flights to resume.

In advance of the shipment, all involved parties had been trained, and Envirotainer and Air France'KLM Cargo together performed 'mock' shipments to ensure a smooth shipping process.

The RAP e2 container is the first product in an entirely new generation of containers, constructed in an all composite sandwich material. The unique properties of this material and an optimized design allow for much better insulation - and even higher reliability than traditional aluminum sandwich-based container types.

The RAP e2 showcases the next generation of the well proven e-technology platform for heating and cooling that was established by Envirotainer's RKN e1 container. This advanced technology paired with the composite material shell creates the leading innovation in container design ' the RAP e2.

Cyril Winkler, Product Manager at Envirotainer, said: 'Completing the first commercial flight of the RAP e2 is a proud milestone for Envirotainer and a natural progression of our strength in e-technology cargo containers. As we have proven before with the smaller sized RKN e1, the RAP e2 will be the preferred choice for large volume shipments with very strict temperature requirements and we are happy to offer a state of the art solution with the introduction of this new container.'

As well as embracing the very latest technology advancements, the RAP e2 provides greater volume capacity than the smaller RKN e1. The Envirotainer RAP e2 is able to accommodate five Euro or four US pallets, whereas the RKN e1 is designed to handle one Euro or US pallet.

Envirotainer's new composite technology is developed and manufactured at the company's high-tech production facility in Sweden. Like all Envirotainer containers, the RAP e2 is supported by a global network of Envirotainer stations. Envirotainer is rapidly investing to expand the fleet of RAP e2 containers during 2011 to bring this innovative product to customers worldwide through its airline and logistics partners.