Maersk Air Cargo starts regulatory process for US flights

Shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk has applied to the US Department of Transportation to have the foreign air carrier permit of subsidiary Star Air transferred to its new Maersk Air Cargo business.

In filings seen by Air Cargo News, the company has applied to amend and reissue Star Air’s foreign air carrier permit in the company’s new legal name Maersk Air Cargo and pending the approval of the amendment, issue exemption authority in the same name.

“AP Moller-Maersk has recently undergone a corporate restructuring in which Maersk Air Cargo was created as a new subsidiary company of Maersk Aviation Holding,” the company said in the application.

“Maersk Air Cargo is the new operating entity for Maersk’s air cargo shipping service.

“The Applicant intends to use the Maersk Air Cargo name on its services operated to and from the US.”

No objections were received to the application.

“Star Air has polled all interested parties and no party has objected to the Application,” a filing said.

“Accordingly, Star Air respectfully requests that the Department grant the relief requested.”

Maersk Air Cargo was established as a business in April as the cash-rich shipping firm looked to expand its reach beyond its traditional sea operations with investments in airfreight and freight forwarding.

The new airline is expected to be operational in the second half of the year and will utilise Denmark’s Billund Airport as its main hub and offer daily flights.

In August, the carrier conducted a special demonstrator flight from Incheon, Korea, to Greenville Spartanburg in the US.

Maersk recently confirmed Maersk Air Cargo’s three newbuild Boeing B767-300F freighters will be operated by Miami-headquartered cargo airline Amerijet on a US-China route from this autumn.

The order of the three new B767-300Fs was announced in April with the launch of Maersk Air Cargo.

They are in addition to three leased B767F freighters which will be operational this year through Cargo Aircraft Management, the leasing arm of ATSG.

The carrier has also ordered two new B777Fs due for delivery in 2024.

According to tracking site Airfleets, the carrier currently operates with a fleet of 15 B767 freighters, that were previously flown by Star Air on behalf of express carriers.

The majority of these aircraft are currently operating intra-European flights.