The French shipping company CMA CGM and the airline Air France-KLM join forces in air freight.

In the course of a capital increase, CMA CGM will invest up to nine percent in the aviation group, the partnership is initially planned for ten years, according to the ORF. A cooperation between airline and shipping company is also in the offing with the joint offer by Lufthansa and the Swiss CMA competitor MSC to take over the Italian state airline ITA Airways.

The disrupted supply chains in the pandemic have brought heavy profits to cargo shipping, which they are using to expand into air freight. The Marseille-based CMA CGM founded an air freight division last year. Air France-KLM and the shipping company said they expect significant synergies from the partnership and want to invest in sustainable growth.

The joint fleet will consist of ten aircraft - six from Air France-KLM and four from CMA CGM. Twelve more machines have been ordered. The joint cargo fleet would be number eight in the world.