Maersk Air Cargo (DJ, Billund) has applied for a US Foreign Air Carrier Permit to take over services to the country from the now-defunct Star Air (Denmark) (Copenhagen Kastrup).

In its application filed on September 8, the Danish cargo specialist requested the amendment to an existing permit granted to Star Air, wherein Maersk Air Cargo will simply assume the existing authorisation.

"A.P. Möller - Maersk A/S ("Maersk") has recently undergone a corporate restructuring in which Maersk Air Cargo A/S was created as a new subsidiary company of Maersk Aviation Holding A/S. 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," the airline said.

Currently, Maersk Air Cargo operates exclusively within Europe.

The Danish shipping giant decided to incorporate a new in-house cargo airline in April 2022. The new unit was formally independent of Star Air, which has hitherto operated Maersk's air cargo services, and underwent separate certification. Chief Executive Peter Corfitsen has since confirmed to ch-aviation that all assets were moved from the Star Air AOC to Maersk Air Cargo AOC as of June 5, 2022, although Star Air continued to be the AOC holder for another two months until Maersk Air Cargo received its authorisation - DK.AOC.088 - on August 1, 2022.

The airline currently operates five B767-200(ERBDSF)s, six B767-200(PC)s, one B767-200(SF), one B767-300ER(BDSF), and two B767-300Fs, the ch-aviation fleets module shows. It also subcontracts the operation of one recently delivered but not yet inducted B767-300F (with two more to come) to Florida's Amerijet International (M6, Miami International) on a CMI basis.