Two of the world’s largest ocean shipping lines have made important advances this month in their effort to also become significant cargo airlines and air logistics providers.
CMA CGM, the No. 3 carrier by capacity, last week said CMA CGM Air Cargo is now a French airline after receiving its air carrier certificate from the French Civil Aviation Authority. The establishment of a new operating authority under its own name in France took place following delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 777 freighter, according to the company’s first quarter earnings report.
CMA CGM’s air cargo division is transferring its base of operations from Liège Airport in Belgium to Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG). The Marseilles-based company launched the airline in early 2021 with four owned Airbus A330-200 freighters but outsourced the flying to small passenger carrier Air Belgium. Now the operation is coming in-house and in-country.
On Tuesday, CMA CGM said it also received its second 777 from Boeing during a ceremony in Everett, Washington. The large widebody freighters will be the first to operate from CDG under the company’s own air operator certificate.
The Boeing 777s will be the first CMA CGM Air Cargo aircraft to be based at CDG and directly operated under its own air operator certificate, a spokesperson said. Since its launch early last year, the airline has made its home base in Liège, Belgium, and hired Air Belgium to fly the A330 cargo jets. The current fleet is being gradually relocated to Paris.
With a payload of 107 tons, the 777s are a step up in size for CMA CGM’s airline.
The ocean shipping giant is investing even more to double the fleet to 12 aircraft by mid-decade, which will enable it to increase the number of international destinations available to customers. An additional two 777s are on order and scheduled for delivery in 2024. The news was previously shared on background with reporters but officially disclosed on Tuesday. CMA…
