Air France KLM Martinair Cargo has moved a vacuum lifting system into daily operations at its KLM Cargo Hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, aiming to cut the physical strain on handlers who lift boxes during pallet build-up and break-down.

The system, supplied by Swedish manufacturer LiftsAll, has been in daily use since July 13. It went live after two test phases in which KLM Cargo employees trialled the equipment in live operations and reported back on its usability.

The operational case is straightforward. In break-down work, employees repeatedly lift and move individual boxes off pallets — a repetitive physical task that the carrier now handles, at least in part, by machine. Sensor measurements using Movella Xsens motion-capture technology showed the system eliminates the lifting effort associated with handling boxes during pallet breakdown, according to KLM Cargo.

The coverage is broad but not total. The carrier says the vacuum lift works with approximately 80% of individual boxes. Some cargo, including wet boxes, still requires conventional manual handling.

"At KLM Cargo, we continuously invest in innovation to drive improvements for both our customers and our people," said Charlotte Elpers, vice president of worldwide operations at KLM Cargo. "The vacuum lift is a great example of how technology can make daily operations less physically demanding."

Elpers added that involving employees in testing helps the company judge whether new technology fits the realities of daily operations before wider deployment — a phased approach that treats ergonomics claims as something to verify in live conditions rather than accept on specification.

The vacuum lift sits within KLM's broader Autonomous Operations program, which is exploring technologies intended to improve work across ground operations, cargo and maintenance. The Schiphol deployment marks one concrete, working application within that effort: certified by live trials, measured with motion-capture sensors, and now running daily.

For a hub operation that moves high volumes of boxed freight through pallet build-up and break-down, the immediate effect is on workload and physical demands rather than throughput figures. The remaining 20% of boxes — and the question of whether KLM extends the system beyond Schiphol — will determine how far the technology scales within the group's cargo network.