Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) is the air cargo business of the Air France KLM Group, bringing together a combined fleet of three airlines, enabling the transportation of a diverse range of goods globally.
Alongside cargo belly capacity within their passenger fleet, AFKLMP’s freighter aircraft provide flexible main deck capacity. This adaptable approach allows the carrier to provide customers with a comprehensive array of services and solutions, meeting market needs, creating smooth connections and moving goods seamlessly around the world.
AFKLMP operates out of two hubs – Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. These locations reflect its mission to connect customers across its vast network of 230 flight destinations worldwide, moving nearly one million tonnes of cargo in 2022.
Partnerships power the business
To allow AFKLMP to operate the world’s most extensive global cargo network, the group has placed significant emphasis on building partnerships.
On the passenger and cargo side, the company has entered into joint ventures with Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic for Transatlantic flights, providing customers with a wider range of logistical solutions.
On the cargo side, AFKLMP has begun collaborating with CMA CGM Air Cargo (CCAC) to focus on the full freighter segment of the business. AFKLMP currently operates six freighters, primarily focused on the perishable markets of Africa and South America, while CCAC primarily operates in Asia. This partnership enables the companies to offer an enhanced freighter network to customers and greater opportunities for charters.
“AFKLMP is committed to exploring partnerships that offer benefits to its customers. The company’s primary focus is on strengthening its existing partnerships and making it even more convenient for customers to do business with regards to our joint service offer,” GertJan Roelands, Senior Vice President Commercial at AFKLMP, said.
Environmental focus
Sustainability is at the core of AFKLMP’s mission, ingrained in the organisation’s DNA. The aviation industry faces a significant challenge in becoming more sustainable, and AFKLMP has taken numerous initiatives over the years to reduce its carbon footprint.
Two years ago, AFKLMP became the first airline group to introduce a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme in the airfreight industry. Recently, the company launched its “goSAF” proposition, enabling customers to purchase SAF on a booking level via the myCargo portal, thereby reducing the footprint on an AWB level.
For all flights departing from Amsterdam and Paris, AFKLMP fuels its flights with 1% SAF. The company also recently placed an order to replace its existing freighter fleet with the Airbus A350F, which are 40% more fuel-efficient and produce 50% less noise.
AFKLMP has also introduced various sustainable measures for ground handling, including carton beams, lighter nets, a transition towards electrical equipment, and waste management.
“As an airfreight industry, we understand that addressing environmental challenges is beyond our individual capacity. Therefore, instead of competing, we must collaborate on sustainability. Safety is not a competitive factor, and sustainability should be treated similarly,” Roelands stated.
Though many fascinating sustainability initiatives are underway worldwide, AFKLMP believes that coming together can catalyse, accelerate and transform the industry to meet climate goals. Its goal is to mobilise the airfreight industry by collaborating with airlines, shippers, forwarders, fuel suppliers, and relevant associations. AFKLMP believes that by uniting, we can achieve more than the sum of individual efforts.
“To demonstrate our commitment, we have partnered with Delta and Virgin through our JV sustainability working group. We collaborate and share best practices to develop a joint action plan. Additionally, we actively support SmartFreightCentre’s ambition to develop a single source of truth in sustainability-related topics,” Roelands explained.
Embracing technological innovation
AFKLMP recognises the critical importance of digitalisation. Its industry-leading myCargo portal allows customers to make bookings 24/7 and offers a full range of digital services, such as Track & Trace, Modify My Booking, and e-Claims. AFKLMP has made great strides in fully digitalising its customer journey and the products it offers.
AFKLMP recently announced that real-time e-AWB validation details are now available in myCargo. This is part of its work to continuously improve its Track & Trace tool by adding new services and data sources.
“Our focus is to incorporate temperature data as our customers require more control over the condition of their shipments. We take it as our responsibility to drive developments to meet customer demand and exceed their expectations,” Roelands said.
Additionally, the group has advanced in connectivity by developing its Sales API, which allows customers to directly connect their booking system with its digital services, streamlining the process and making it easier to do business with us. This also enables customers to improve their time to market and enhance service for their customers (shippers) when it comes to booking airfreight capacity. Currently, 72% of AFKLMP’s bookings are made through its online channels, which is unique for a B2B environment.
“While we recognise the importance of our digital offering, we believe that our people make the difference when it comes to delivering excellent service to our customers. We understand that not all activities can be fully digitalised, and we strive to be there for our customers when they need us. Our “Bionic Servicing Strategy” is based on finding the right balance between our talented customer service representatives, spread across over 60 offices worldwide, and our digital proposition,” Roelands said.
