China's Hongyuan eyes 49% stake in Air Belgium - report

CMA CGM partners Air France-KLM, to acquire equity

French logistics giant CMA CGM plans to acquire a stake of up to 9% in Air France-KLM as part of a long-term strategic partnership.

In a joint statement, the two firms said the initial agreement will be for ten years and will see both parties combine their complementary cargo networks, full freighter capacity and dedicated facilities in order to build more competitive services.

In terms of aerial operations, the duo will operate a combined fleet of ten dedicated freighter aircraft (with an additional combined 12 on order) distributed as follows:

• four with CMA CGM Air Cargo (CMA, Paris CDG) (with outstanding orders for an additional eight aircraft, two of which may be operated by Air France-KLM in the future);
• six with Air France-KLM based at Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol (with outstanding orders for an additional four).

The partnership also covers Air France-KLM’s bellyhold capacity, including over 160 long-haul aircraft, and will see both parties leveraging their respective global sales teams.

In terms of the equity buy-in, CMA CGM...

China's Jiangxi Cargo Airlines eyes A330 freighters

France's CMA CGM Air Cargo to take ops in-house in 2Q22

China's Jiangxi Cargo, Sichuan Airlines to add A330P2Fs

Jiangxi Cargo Airlines (Nanchang) and Sichuan Airlines (3U, Chengdu Shuangliu) have agreed to lease A330-300(P2F)s from CDB Aviation.

In a statement announced during the 2022 Singapore Airshow, the Chinese lessor said Chengdu-based Sichuan Airlines will lease two A330-300(P2F)s with deliveries due in late 2022 and the middle of 2023. The carrier already operates three A330-200Fs.

For its part, start-up Jiangxi Cargo Airlines will lease one A330-300(P2F) to be delivered in early 2023. The new Nanchang-based start-up is a joint venture between the Jiangxi Provincial Government's Jiangxi Railway Aviation Investment Group and Beijing-based Hongyuan Group, a privately-owned conglomerate which will shortly take an equity holding in Air Belgium (KF, Brussels Charleroi). Jiangxi Cargo Airlines is already active albeit it as a freight forwarder which charters in capacity from established carriers. It will develop Nanchang Changbei International Airport into a key freight transit hub where facilities at the Nanchang Aviation Logistics Industrial Park are already under construction.