China Southern Airlines Cargo and Air France KLM Martinair (AF-KL-MP) Cargo have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further strengthen and shape strategic cooperation.

The two airlines signed a MoU in September 2015 focused on strategic cooperation between the two parties, and they plan to collaborate in a number of areas over the next four years.

AF-KL-MP says it wants to plan the existing cooperation and build on experience to enable it to continue to use its membership of the SkyTeam Cargo Alliance to maximum advantage; connect China Southern’s position in China and Asia Pacific with AF-KL-MP’s position in Europe, Africa and trans-Atlantic with the possibility of sharing capacity and space agreements; combining networks to offer higher frequency of services via the hubs of Guangzhou, Shanghai, Paris and Amsterdam; provide access to each other’s capacity and ground services under a one roof concept; and increase mail and express business opportunities between China, Europe and the USA.

The MoU was signed at a ceremony in Guangzhou on 11 October by AF-KL-MP Cargo executive vice president, Marcel de Nooijer and China Southern Cargo senior vice president, Zhao Fengsheng.

De Nooijer says: “We continuously want to create more value to our customers, and in doing so we are very excited to deepen the cooperation with our strategic partner China Southern Cargo. This new phase is good news for our customers.”

Fengsheng adds: “Signing of this MoU leads to a new phase of cooperation between us, we anticipate concrete result coming out of this.”

The airlines say the MoU could lead to an integrated commercial and operational cargo cooperation joint venture between Europe and China.