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World renowned shipping line CMA CGM has pulled out its Air Cargo business out of the U.S. market. The aircrafts have been redeployed to Asia and the Middle East, as per information from the company. Last month, CMA CGM withdrew the freighter operating on the Chicago route and placed it on a new route to Mumbai. The decision came into place even after the company said in January that Miami and Chicago will remain ‘key destinations’ for their network.
CMA CGM Air Cargo resumed service to the United States in January after abruptly suspending operations to Chicago and Atlanta late last year. This was to enable the two Airbus A330 planes to temporarily work for Qatar Airways and DHL Express. The company said at the time that the decision had more to do with steps required to register the aircraft in France.
One year into a shipping downturn, CMA CGM Air Cargo is still searching for optimal routes to deploy its small fleet of four A330-200s and two Boeing 777 cargo jets.
Since 15th May the airline has commenced providing airlift services from its main hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Abu Dhabi, which serves as a stop on the route to Guangzhou, China. The company has announced that the service from Abu Dhabi to Paris will soon be made available.
In early April, CMA CGM and Air France-KLM initiated their 10-year alliance, aiming to enhance their scale and competitiveness by jointly marketing freighter capacity, integrating networks, and offering dedicated services. To further expand their fleet, CMA CGM has placed orders for two additional Boeing 777s and four brand-new A350 freighters from Airbus.
