The airfreight division was established in March 2021 by CMA CGM Group and received certification from Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile française on 1 June this year, following the delivery of its first Boeing 777 Freighter.
Four Airbus A330-200Fs are already in operation and CMA CGM plans to have a fleet of 12 aircraft by 2026 by adding the one 777F it has just received followed by another soon, two new 777Fs scheduled for arrival in 2024 and four Airbus A350Fs in 2025 and 2026.
Last month, CMA CGM became the main private shareholder of Air France-KLM by taking a 9% share worth €400m, giving CMA CGM Group’s Chairman and CEO, Rodolphe Saade, a position on the airline’s Board of Directors.
The 10-year deal will see the companies sharing their fleet of aircraft and using their global sales teams to present on voice to customers.
The news came as CMA CGM announced its results for the first quarter of 2022, posting revenue of $18.2bn and EBITDA of $8.8bn.
In its logistics division, revenue was up 57.2% to $3.4bn and EBITDA by 45.3% to $250m due to the strength of shipping and airfreight.
Looking ahead, CMA CGM says the outlook is uncertain due to the sharp rise in energy prices combined with inflation weighing on retail consumption, which could have a negative impact on the global economy and trade.