In April, CMA CGM Air Cargo and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) formally announced their capacity alliance. With a new A330 freighter service connecting Paris with Mumbai, India, AIRFREIGHT GIANTS Air France/KLM Martinair (AFKLMP) Cargo and CMA CGM Air Cargo continue to challenge each other’s market dominance.
The four regularly scheduled flights, which began on May 12, represent an important step in the ambitious plan for the strategic alliance between the two organisations.
According to a statement, “Mumbai Airport has developed into a major hub offering tailored infrastructure for intermodal connections in the region.”
The project was first introduced in May of last year, when CMA CGM declared its intention to buy a 9per cent interest in Air France-KLM Group as part of a new, 10-year collaboration that would see the airline and shipping company combine their fleets.
For the first 10 years of the agreement, CMA CGM Group and AFKLMP will merge their complementing networks for cargo planes.
This includes dedicated cargo lift and belly-hold airfreight capacity on six full-freighters operated by CMA CGM Air Cargo, based at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, as well as six AFKLMP group freighters based jointly at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. There are also outstanding orders for an additional eight aircraft that could upgrade the current fleet.
The arrangement means that the two carriers are now running their respective airlines’ entire freighter aircraft capacity, initially with CMA CGM’s six freighters and AFKLMP’s six freighters.
Air France-KLM’s belly aircraft capacity, which includes more than 160 long-haul aircraft, is also covered by the commercial collaboration.
