CMA CGM Air Cargo (CMA CGM) has expanded its fleet to nine aircraft by formally taking control of Air Belgium and receiving an additional 777 freighter from Boeing. The company announced on April 30th that it has completed the transfer of Air Belgium's assets from a liquidator and will continue to operate Air Belgium as a separate brand from Brussels and Liège airports.
Air Belgium adds two Airbus A330-200 medium-widebody freighters and two Boeing 747-8 freighters to the CMA CGM portfolio. CMA CGM stated that it has retained 124 Air Belgium employees, including 72 pilots. The acquisition allows CMA CGM to provide more air logistics options to European cargo owners and freight forwarders.
In 2022, Hongyuan Group in China acquired a 49% stake in Air Belgium. Since then, Air Belgium has been operating its fleet on behalf of the logistics provider.
Air Belgium complements CMA CGM's operations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The airline runs regular services with two Boeing 777 cargo jets to Hong Kong and Shanghai, and one A330 aircraft to Zhengzhou, China. CMA CGM also oversees two factory-built Boeing 777 freighter aircraft, operated by New York-based Atlas Air on trans-Pacific routes.
Air Belgium played a key role in establishing CMA CGM Air Cargo in 2021. CMA CGM acquired four A330 cargo jets and hired Air Belgium to operate them until early 2023, when it secured its own French air operator certificate and moved its operations to Paris.
