With the development of logistics market in recent years, shipping giants are increasingly showing their different development directions.
Recently, the shipping company MSC ordered a large number of ships to consolidate the shipping position, and the shipping capacity is about to surpass Maersk, which has become a highly concerned event in the industry.Maersk, for its part, has no plans to expand its fleet and has been gradually transforming itself into a full-supply chain integrated logistics provider in recent years. Maersk’s annual report said it continued to focus on land logistics, particularly in warehousing and distribution, air transport and customs.
Facing different choices, CMA CGM is now moving into air cargo after acquiring logistics company Ceva Logistics.
Earlier this month, French shipping giant CMA CGM entered the Air Cargo business by buying four A330-200F Cargo planes and created a new unit, CMA CGM Air Cargo, which will focus on Air freight.
CMA CGM Air Cargo, its new specialist Air Cargo unit, will begin operations on March 8 next month, with the first flight of the A330-200F Cargo planes between Belgium's Liege Airport and Chicago, CMA CGM Air Cargo said on Tuesday.
CMA CGM said the air cargo division would become a new "commercial pillar" for the company, providing "complementarity" to its sea shipping services.Rodolphe Saade, CAFI's chairman and CEO, said: "This is an important turning point in the development of our logistics products.The division will use commercial partnerships with airlines to provide global coverage.This is an important milestone in the development of our logistics services."
As well as diversifying its cargo business by moving into air cargo, it has given the French carrier's huge logistics arm, Ceva Logistics, an edge in securing freight traffic.
CMA CGM said in a statement that it was working on a shipping space agreement with CEVA that would give CEVA priority over its capacity during a supply shortage in the industry.The agreement is a continuous booking agreement that guarantees its freight carrier a certain amount of space on every flight, regardless of whether all the space is occupied.
CMA CGM also said it has selected Groupe ECS as its general sales agent to help promote its capacity, handle bookings and manage freight handling for non-CEVA customers.
In addition, CMA CGM's second cargo plane will begin operations on March 16, also serving Liege airport in the United States and Belgium.
Xavier Eiglier, head of CMA CGM's Air Cargo division, said in a statement: "The establishment of the Air Cargo division is an important event in developing a comprehensive logistics service for CMA CGM Group customers.Build the initial destination in the United States demonstrates our desire to provide our customers with international services to serve the largest cargo airport in the center of a major economic region."
It is understood that the freighters used by CMA CGM were purchased from Qatar Air Cargo. The details of the four freighters match the four A330-200Fs recently withdrawn from service by Qatar Airways. After the purchase, they are operated by Belgian Airlines.
Dansk Bilspedition A/S
