With 3,000 networks and over 200 destinations moving goods through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Air France’s cargo operations keeps freight moving across four large facilities.
Most of the cargo handled by Air France Cargo passes through their hub called G1XL, which possess a full range of facilities, regardless of weight, size or commodity. Express and postal cargo are handled in a specific facility called Hub Express and operated by SoDEXI, a subsidiary of Air France.
“The market is growing, but we have the ability to grow our capacity and the cargo that we are moving,” Christophe Boucher, Director of Cargo at Air France, explained.
“You need the resources, you need people, you need to adjust your process and you need to modernise your operations. That’s what we are doing year after year.
“We sell regular express but we also offer a product called My SoDEXI mainly for export shipment for goods requiring really a very high level of quality. Pharma has been a focus for some time now and, year after year, we have invested into new facilities. Last year, we invested in a cool room for loose cargo 15°C-25°C, this year, in two cool rooms for 30 ULDs, each one at 15-25°C and the other one at 2-8°C and next year, we will double our 2-8°C loose storage area.
“We try to be pragmatic, using a step by step approach.”
Evolving philosophy
Having been in operation since 1976, Air France’s G1XL airfreight terminal has developed to embrace high-tech facilities and flexibility for customers as volumes grow. However, it has faced the challenge of being built with the vision of being “flat.” As volumes continue to grow, Air France Cargo is looking at how to build on their facilities, looking towards verticalisation as a possibility.
“If I look between now and 2030, we still expect a growth of around 30 percent in capacity, so we’re going to have to go up and verticalise,” Boucher outlined.
“Having this kind of verticalisation means your operations are more compact, so you have less lead time between the different places where you can store shipments, break down and build up, so it’s an opportunity to make it more efficient.”
Verticalisation is still a project that Air France Cargo has to implement, but it’s not only about the facility though, it’s about the process that the carrier has experience with.
Within Air France Cargo’s 120,000 sq m hub, the carrier has been keen to invest in innovation to ensure a smooth service, with one half buzzing with staff and the other side almost entirely automated.
Since 1996, Air France Cargo has deployed a fleet of 30 Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), specifically developed for their warehouse, to transport freight pallets with precision and efficiency.
“In order to modernise, we have these very unique system that move the pallets around,” Boucher outlined, explaining how this is both more product and environmentally friendly.
“We’re electrifying as much as as we can. The AGV moving around are all electrical. The batteries are even automatically changed by some robots.
“We have electrified trucks delivering the cargo to the ramp. We are also using electrical trucks to move cargo between CDG and ORY, the other Paris airport, and some within Europe.
“This means using less space, and less space is also a positive way to make sure that we are preserving the environment.”
