Air-France-KLM to dump freighter fleet

AIR France-KLM is to undertake a major restructuring of its cargo business. The company said that it will cut capacity by 15 per cent in October but it has yet to confirm that the remainder of its freighter fleet will be transferred over to Martinair over the next two years, as some reports claim.

An Air France spokesperson said: “We have no comment to make. We neither confirm nor deny the report”.

The move follows its decision to raise global rates by 20 to 30 per cent, in line with Lufthansa Cargo’s decision to do the same a week before.

The company said: “With regard to cargo, which has been severely impacted by the steep decline in world trade, a restructuring plan is underway, including a much more significant reduction in capacity, also aimed at improving the load factor”. The reduction

The company, as of the end of June, now operates 29 freighters, five fewer than the same month last year. Cargo traffic fell 16 per cent in August, in line with its 17 per cent drop in capacity. Load factor increased slightly to 63.5 per cent.