PARIS, FRANCE — Air France-KLM Group and the French container transportation and shipping company CMA CGM Group announced that they have signed a long-term strategic partnership for air cargo.
With this exclusive partnership, both Groups will combine their complementary cargo networks, full freighter capacity, and dedicated services in order to build an even more competitive offer.
The agreement will have an initial duration of 10 years. Air France-KLM and CMA CGM will join and exclusively operate the full-freighter aircraft capacity of the respective airlines consisting initially of a fleet of 10 full-freighter aircraft, and an additional combined 12 aircraft on order:
4 full-freighter aircraft at CMA CGM Air Cargo (with outstanding orders for an additional 8 aircraft, 2 of which may be operated by Air France-KLM in the future),
6 full-freighter aircraft at Air France-KLM Group based at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (with outstanding orders for an additional 4 aircraft)
The partnership also covers Air France-KLM’s belly aircraft capacity, including over 160 long-haul aircraft, which is expected to generate significant revenue synergies, including the joint design of the full freighter networks and enhanced products and services mix opportunities.
As part of this long-term exclusive partnership, CMA CGM will reinforce its commitment to the air freight industry by becoming a new reference shareholder in Air France-KLM. CMA CGM has the firm intention to take up to 9% of Air France-KLM’s ex-post share capital for a period consistent with the implementation of the strategic commercial partnership.
