Air France (AF, Paris CDG) and partner KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol) could exit the dedicated-freighter sector as the Franco-Dutch carriers forge ahead with cost-cutting plans.
Quoting anonymous sources familiar with the carriers' operations, Bloomberg newswire says a decision on whether to exit the dedicated freight sector is to be taken at a board meeting later this month.
Despite reporting an operating profit of EUR130million (USD178million) in 2013, the Group's cargo operations sustained a hefty EUR202million (USD281million) loss amid a global slump in demand.
The ch-aviation aircraft database shows Air France operates two B777-Fs and two B747-400(F)s, KLM three B747-400(F)s and Martinair (Netherlands) (MP, Amsterdam Schiphol) five B747-400(F)s and six MD-11(F)s. Under the company’s Transform savings plan the group has already committed to consolidating the fleet to 10 freighters by 2015.
