will it ever recover to the 38p i paid for them??

Keith, any posts to add!

a muted mention in shares today,,nothing very encouraging though

i really really would love this share to perform and am holding off buying only because i want to see one serious order come in. at that point, if it proves there is a shift from aluminium cargo then this stock will fly. until then the overhang of capacity issues and potential funding requirements will just see the stock drift.

i think its a wait and watch. I liked the idea but im going cold on it

i hear you. as i have satated before if i miss the firt 20% on the back of an order who cares because husge upside. if no order comes through these guys won't survive however great the idea is.

the tide is turning....


1 December 2004

AEROBOX PLC

New Contract


Following the successful completion of trials, Saudi Arabian Airlines has placed
an initial order for 500 Aerobox AKE air cargo containers for delivery in early
2005.


Robert Bushman, Chief Executive Officer of Aerobox plc, said:

'Saudi Arabian Airlines was one of the first airlines to agree trials as a
result of the marketing joint venture with Watermark Group plc and we are
pleased that the excellent trial performance of the Aerobox has led to a
significant initial order.

The robustness and strength of the Aerobox is ideal for their intensive freight
operations and the thermal properties of AeroplazTM also give Aerobox a unique
advantage over aluminium in the Middle East.'

Very good news, methinks.
Not so much itself, though; more that it suggests that the factory is on-track and that means more larger orders can be accommodated.

Next news will probably feature the completion of factory fit-out and firmer date for start of production, or it may come at the time production has started. Then several months of high potential for further order news.
And with margins relatively high because they'll be building the boxes in-house, cash should soon start accruing.

And let's not forget that ARX has angles up and down from the regular freight boxes - temperature regulated (not just insulated) boxes, and the application of the plastic to other structures.

There has been a lot of bad news built into the price the last year, but with the WMK spat settled (and them soon to finish selling, I hope), and the placing done at 14p since when the price has visited that level, there could be rapid recovery from here.

I have bought 4 times recently from just below 15p to just above 16p; it is not one of my largest holdings - and I'm expecting it to be much larger in a years time.

I hope you are right, I bought at 38p!

What do we make of the watermark disposal and who took up the slack?

16.28PM ON A FRIDAY!! I hate these companies that post news at that time.It shows you what they think of the shareholders.

I'd say we may well see alittle blue today

That Chart is going to excite the TA crackpots.

They'll be drooling all over their anoraks

Come on
They are now taking 17.75p

Up the offer and give me my blue

any views on the price in 3 months time?? i bought at 38p!!!!!!!!

me too kieth.......just forgot to sell on the way down ....lol, noticed its been creeping up recently - curious to know if anyone has an opinion about how the dollar rate will affect the operation?

Oh dear it looks as if this one is going nowhere other than back down

noticed in Shares rag , Simon Porter of Virgin Cargo has said " aerobox containers are heavier than currently used by the airline which was satisfied with their durability" - can anybody confirm or wishes to refute these remarks.

here is the whole article with the simon porter which puts the quote in context:



Uncanny Solutions

With ULD repair costs sky-high, airlines can hardly contain their composite hopes for the new Aerobox

By Roger Turney

onsider the ULD. The ubiquitous, utilitarian and universal unit load device has served the airline industry these past three decades without complaint. Well not quite so, but then there has never been anything to replace the standard aluminum ULD, so complaint has to some extent been pointless.

Besides, what has there been to complain about? Stab a penknife through a soda can and you get some idea of what a forklift truck can do to a ULD. That and the consequent damage or injuries the jagged edges of a ripped container can do to cargo, baggage and handlers.

Then there is the downtime and cost of taking a container out of service for repair.

As an average rule of thumb each widebody aircraft out there is capable of carrying around 20 ULDs and each airline will have to purchase three sets of containers for each widebody aircraft in its fleet. At an average cost of $1,000-$1,200 for each container, it is a major investment for any carrier. Particularly as the lifespan of a standard aluminum ULD can be as short as three years.

Repair costs vary around the world, but average $120, and each ULD will probably get repaired at least twice a year.

One major ULD repair station at London Heathrow claims to repair more than 35,000 ULDs each year. The universal ULD, it appears, has become an expensive piece of hardware in today's cost-slashing airline environment.

Switzerland-based Unitpool, a subsidiary of ground handler Swissport that manages containers on a pooled basis for about 16 airlines, estimates the bill for ULD repairs runs to $225 million worldwide. The company has started a campaign called "Stop ULD Damage" that includes stickers that can be slapped onto containers, perhaps to cover the dents and dings.

Unit Loads

It is at Heathrow that another possible solution is being rolled out. Virgin Atlantic Airways planes will start carrying the first ULDs that a U.S. research company, Aerospace Composite Structures, based in Albuquerque, N.M., claims will bring the first real change to ULD construction since the first pieces of aluminum were snapped together.

The company has been working for a number of years to develop composite technology, initially for the U.S. defense industry, including the Strategic Defense Initiative project. This new composite was a low cost, high impact and damage tolerant material with exceptional durability.

Called Aeroplaz, the material may be more durable than space-based missile defense and it is coming to the air freight world in the form of a new, lighter, cheaper and more damage resistant unit load device for the airline industry.

Introducing the Aerobox, the new ULD, which it is claimed is virtually indestructible, even to the attentions of the most wanton of forklift drivers. Aerobox is being developed and produced on capital raised on the London Stock Exchange, which is why the innovative container is being launched primarily to airlines in Europe.

Russ Colbourne, commercial director of Aerobox has no doubt that his new box will succeed. "It is everything the airlines have been looking for in a ULD and more," he said.

Not only is the Aerobox 12 percent lighter than the standard aluminum ULD, says Colbourne, it also has some remarkable characteristics. "Damage a normal container with a forklift and it causes jagged edges, requiring the unit to be taken out of service for up to week, with a repair cost of over $100," explains Colbourne. "Pierce an Aerobox with a forklift truck and all you need to do is stick on a patch made of the same composite material and the unit remains in service."

A more permanent repair can be made with what might be called existing technology: A household iron is used to simply heat and press the temporary patch into permanent place. "It really is that simple,"

says Colbourne. No need to send a container off to a repair station and no need to take a container out of service."

The other main virtue of the Aerobox is the ability to collapse the box into a flat-pack state. In this way up to 12 units can be stacked to take up the same space as one ULD on an aircraft. "This should have enormous benefit for carriers who have strong traffic imbalances on certain routes," says Colbourne.

The Aerobox, says Colbourne, has received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval and the okay from the United Kingdom's regulators is expected to follow.

UK carrier Virgin will be the first carrier to undertake trials with the new ULD with 10 units being circulated throughout the airline's system.

Africa Tests

It is an opportunity Simon Porter, operations manager at Virgin Atlantic Cargo is looking forward to with some relish and he knows just where he will be sending the first units.

"Every airline has its own difficult destination and we will be sending our boxes to Lagos in Nigeria. If they return from there in one piece then we might have a success on our hands."

But Porter raises questions about the other qualities of the new Aerobox. "Our current fleet of aluminum ULDs are very durable and in actual fact lighter than the Aerobox. We also doubt if we would have a need to flat-pack our units. Virgin has developed a very tight joint control of both its cargo and baggage containers, so as to virtually eliminate any route imbalances."

But adds, Porter, the main attraction of the Aerobox would be its on-line repair capability: "Every one of our containers goes for repair at least twice a year. Even though we can have them turned round in as little as 24-48 hours there is still a major cost involved."

According to Colbourne, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Air-India and Qantas have agreed to try the boxes and Air France is expected to sign up. Other company sources said United Parcel Service was strongly interested .

The prospect of a large commitment from the Asian carriers excites Colbourne most, however. "Our current manufacturing facilities are in Albuquerque, but if we get substantial interest in the Far East then we will consider developing a production facility in China," he says.

Either way, ULD repair stations around the world may have some quiet times ahead, unless they order steam irons.