Maersk Air Cargo Expands Network to South America, Appoints Key Senior Executives

Maersk Air Cargo (Photo: Maersk / Phaata) 

The cargo airline owned by shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk is operating its own aircraft to South America for the first time, following an initial phase focused on the North American, European, and Asian markets. This is a significant step forward in the group's integrated logistics strategy.

Expanding its Network to South America

According to Maersk, Maersk Air Cargo began operating scheduled routes from its hub at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), South Carolina, to Bogota, Colombia, in March. Following that, in May, the airline launched another route from its other hub at Chicago-Rockford International Airport (RFD) to Santiago, Chile.

Both routes are operated twice a week using Maersk-owned Boeing 767-300 freighters. Flight operations are outsourced to its partner, Miami-based Amerijet. A variety of cargo, including e-commerce orders, is carried on the outbound leg, while the return flights typically carry perishable goods and fresh flowers.

Maersk Air Cargo's fleet currently consists of ten B767-300s and two Boeing 777 freighters. In addition, the carrier operates six Boeing 767-200s under a separate contract for express carriers like UPS in Europe. In its dual role as an airfreight forwarder, Maersk also directly controls several Boeing 747-400 aircraft through a long-term charter agreement with Magma Aviation.

Strengthening its Air Cargo Leadership

In parallel with its network expansion, Maersk has also appointed two seasoned executives in the air cargo sector. Notably, both hires come from DB Schenker, which is experiencing an exodus of personnel following its merger with third-party logistics provider DSV.

•    Christoph Hemmann has been appointed Global Head of Air and LCL for the Maersk Logistics & Services organization. He was previously the Executive Vice President for the Asia-Pacific region at DB Schenker and has also held leadership positions at DHL Global Forwarding. In his new role, he will be responsible for Maersk's cargo airline and its fleet of 18 aircraft.

•    John McDonald becomes the Head of Maersk Air Freight Forwarding. With 35 years of experience in the logistics industry, he previously served as the Executive Vice President and Head of Air Transport, Americas at DB Schenker.

The establishment of its own airline after the Covid crisis is part of Maersk's broader transformation from a pure-play ocean carrier into an end-to-end integrated logistics provider. Last year, Maersk handled 327,000 tons of airfreight, an 11% increase year-on-year, and has set a target to reach 500,000 tons by 2030.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Maersk / Freightwaves)

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