Dutch State to match France’s stake in Air France-KLM

In a move that came as a surprise to Air France-KLM’s Board and the French government, the Dutch State acquired a 12.68% stake in Air France-KLM Group, valued at US $774 million. In the near future, the Dutch Finance Ministry plans to match the French Government’s 14.3% stake in the holding company through the purchase […]

• Charles Kauffman
• February 27, 2019

Air France-KLM cargo traffic improving, will profitability follow?

With the publication of its 2016 year-end results, Air France-KLM once again posted a full-year operating loss of €244 million, slightly narrower (by €1 million) than its 2015 full-year result. Cargo traffic meanwhile, has not yet returned to growth, but the situation is improving more rapidly. Group cargo traffic was down 1.6% y-o-y in December […]

• Charles Kauffman
• February 21, 2017

End of an era, Martinair retires its MD-11Fs

  In the last two weeks, Martinair, the all-cargo subsidiary of Air France-KLM, retired its last two MD-11Fs (48616 and 48757) [FATs 003346 – 3347]. Martinair now operates three 747-400Fs and one 747-400BCF. Founded in the Netherlands in1958 as a passenger carrier by Martin Schröder (as Martin’s Air Charter), Martinair gradually morphed into a major […]

• David Harris
• July 8, 2016

Load it up, and fly it away

With no earthshaking news breaking in the air cargo world today, we thought it a good time to post a couple of videos. We start with one that shows, from a pilot’s perspective, that getting a big freighter into the air is mostly about waiting. This is one of the Air France-KLM 747-400ERFs operated by subsidiary […]

• David Harris
• January 28, 2016

EVA refleets as Martinair defleets

In the Netherlands, it appears that the time for talking has ended, as Air France-KLM has taken the axe to subsidiary carrier Martinair. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Taiwan-based EVA Air is looking to the future, with plans to place an order for five 777Fs. The disappearance of Air France, KLM, and Martinair as […]

• David Harris
• March 17, 2015

AF-KLM’s cargo chief leaves as carrier considers more cuts

More chaos at AF-KLM as cargo chief Erik Varwijk resigns. Varwijk started his career at KLM 25 years ago, but effective from 1 March will resign as Executive Vice President of Air France-KLM cargo. Rumors of his impending resignation had begun circulating late last year but were dismissed by the carrier. AF-KLM has yet to announce […]

• David Harris
• February 4, 2015

More freighters for AirBridge

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) will take two more freighters into its fleet this year – and has said it is considering a further two. Speaking to Cargo Facts’ European editor Alex Lennane, ABC’s Executive President Denis Ilin said that one 747-400ERF, formerly oper­ated by KLM/Martinair Cargo (35233), was completing test flights in Amsterdam in early January in anticipation […]

• David Harris
• January 15, 2015

Martinair to get the chop? All eyes on Amsterdam…

Update with breaking news: Our guess, and the rumors reported below, turns out to be correct. Following the extraordinary Board meeting in Amsterdam today, Air France-KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac announced that the carrier would “accelerate the retirement” of many of its freighters, reducing the fleet from fourteen units today, to just five – two 777Fs […]

• David Harris
• September 4, 2014