CMA CGM Air Cargo leases out freighters

CMA CGM Air Cargo is leasing out four of its freighter aircraft to Qatar Cargo and DHL’s express airline, European Transport Leipzig (EAT), writes Oliver Link of Air Cargo News sister title DVZ.

On paper, CMA CGM Air Cargo owns a fleet of six freighters; it consists of two widebody aircraft of the type B777F and four A330-200s designed for medium and long-haul routes.

Flight data analysed by DVZ shows that the French airline currently serves its network with only two of its own freighters, [as previously reported by FreightWaves].

Four of its aircraft, however, fly for other carriers: one of the two B777Fs currently flies for Qatar Airways Cargo, mainly between various European locations and Doha.

However, the Qatari airline also occasionally uses the freighter for short-haul flights within Europe, for example from Luxembourg to Paris or from London to Basel.

The second freighter leased to Qatar Airways Cargo from the French airline’s fleet is also used between European hubs such as Brussels, Paris and Luxembourg and Doha.

DHL’s express airline European Transport Leipzig (EAT) has taken delivery of two more A330-200s from the French airline’s fleet.

The aircraft currently commute between Brussels to Miami as well as Cincinnati. This is where DHL Express operates its major North American hub.

Both EAT and Qatar Airways Cargo use CMA CGM Air Cargo freighters using their own IATA codes, suggesting that the aircraft are leased out under typically longer-term leases rather than short-term charters.

As part of this change in marketing capacity, the carrier has currently discontinued its North American connections; the previously offered flights to and from Chicago and Atlanta have been cancelled.

The word from inside CMA CGM Air Cargo is that at least the connection to Chicago will be resumed.

Initially, there will be a single extra flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Chicago on 29 December.

From 5 January 2023, the airline will then offer further flights between Paris and Chicago, it said.

CMA CGM Air Cargo currently maintains only the scheduled service between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Hong Kong from its original network of intercontinental connections; this route is served daily by the remaining B777 freighter.

With its second remaining freighter, the French carrier currently flies daily from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Cairo and back.

Earlier this week, Air Cargo News reported that CMA CGM was considering expanding its air cargo operations in Vietnam, while it is also placing capacity on online booking portal CargoAi.