Air France KLM Martinair (AF-KL-MP) Cargo has signed a partnership with China Southern Cargo to give customers access to each other’s network.
The partnership was signed in Guangzhou (China) on 15 September by AF-KL-MP Cargo executive vice president, Bram Graber, and China Southern Cargo senior vice president, Zhao Fengsheng. The carriers say in the first stage of the partnership, they will use each others handling facilities at hubs.
They will improve cooperation for express and mail to accommodate for the growing popularity of e-commerce between Europe and Asia.
Graber tells Air Cargo Week (ACW): “This partnership will give many more opportunities for our customers to develop and forward their cargo sales to many more destinations and also new destinations compared to those they presently have on each carrier.”
The carriers say the partnership will provide AF-KL-MP Cargo customers access to China Southern’s network in Asia Pacific while China Southern users will find it easier to ship to Europe, Africa and Trans-Atlantic routes.
Graber tells ACW AF-KL-MP has been working with China Southern for some time through the SkyTeam Cargo alliance. He says: “There was a natural and obvious logic to develop things together for the benefit of our customers by offering them new opportunities.”
Graber says if this partnership is a success then it could result in further collaboration. He tells ACW: “We are confident that this new offer will be successful among our customers; so yes there should be good reasons to think that is should open doors to increased partnership with China Southern in the future.”
In August this year, China Southern joined IAG Cargo’s Partner Plus Programme, giving IAG customers access to China Southern’s network.
