Dive Brief:
- CMA CGM Air Cargo will begin offering Transpacific air cargo services this summer in anticipation of peak season, the carrier announced in a Tuesday press release.
- The carrier will deploy two Boeing 777-200F aircraft, which will be operated by Atlas Air. The first is scheduled to be delivered in June, and will connect airports in Hong Kong, Chicago and Seoul, South Korea.
- The second freighter is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024, and will connect mainland China to North America.
Dive Insight:
The Transpacific service is part of the carrier’s larger efforts to build a global air cargo network. Despite withdrawing from its cargo partnership with Air France-KLM earlier this year, CMA CGM still remains committed to expanding its fleet and overall air freight operations.
CMA CGM expects a third B777 freighter delivery in 2025 to further expand available capacity, according to the release. The carrier also expects the delivery of eight A350F aircraft in 2026 and 2027 to better build its global network.
The carrier’s fleet already consists of two B777F freighters and three A3330Fs. All are based at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) hub, located in France, according to the release.
At the same time, the carrier’s network expansion comes as uncertainty in ocean shipping grows, prompting shippers to opt for air cargo services to mitigate any potential delays, including vessel attacks along the Red Sea.
Ocean carriers launched air cargo operations after a frenzy of pandemic-fueled demand, and expansion efforts have not stopped.
Maersk, for example, has been building out its end-to-end air cargo capabilities through technology like digital booking and several air cargo gateways, including one in Georgia and Los Angeles.
MSC, meanwhile, launched an additional weekly service from Hong Kong to Texas in November 2023 following the delivery of its third B777 freighter.
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