CMA CGM bids for Belgium's Air cargo business
French giant CMA CGM has swooped in to bid for Air Belgium's cargo business after a Dutch consortium's bid was rejected by a Belgian court, media reports said.
The court's ruling led to the re-opening of Sabena's bidding process, with bids due by March 27. That gave CMA CGM the opportunity to step in, and other bidders were said to be in the running.
The Air One consortium has said it will retain half of Sabena's 400 employees and it is unclear what the other bidders have proposed, which is considered a key consideration for the court.
It is reported that Sabena is a passenger and cargo airline, mainly cargo based. Two A330-200Fs and one 747-8F will serve the Hongyuan Group. Another 747-8F was delivered in December but stored at an air base in the Netherlands.
In addition, CMA CGM has a long history of cooperation with Sabena, having reached an agreement for two A330-200 freighters in 2021.
The CMA CGM Group, headed by Rodolphe Saade, officially launched CMA CMA Air in March 2021. Currently, the group operates four freighters and plans to add two more within this year. By 2026, the fleet size will reach 12 aircraft, including four Boeing 777 Freighters. At the same time, with the Group's modern, technologically advanced and environmentally friendly fleet, CMA CGM Air will continue to expand its service network to provide customers with tailor-made transport and logistics solutions.
The court's ruling led to the re-opening of Sabena's bidding process, with bids due by March 27. That gave CMA CGM the opportunity to step in, and other bidders were said to be in the running.
The Air One consortium has said it will retain half of Sabena's 400 employees and it is unclear what the other bidders have proposed, which is considered a key consideration for the court.
It is reported that Sabena is a passenger and cargo airline, mainly cargo based. Two A330-200Fs and one 747-8F will serve the Hongyuan Group. Another 747-8F was delivered in December but stored at an air base in the Netherlands.
In addition, CMA CGM has a long history of cooperation with Sabena, having reached an agreement for two A330-200 freighters in 2021.
The CMA CGM Group, headed by Rodolphe Saade, officially launched CMA CMA Air in March 2021. Currently, the group operates four freighters and plans to add two more within this year. By 2026, the fleet size will reach 12 aircraft, including four Boeing 777 Freighters. At the same time, with the Group's modern, technologically advanced and environmentally friendly fleet, CMA CGM Air will continue to expand its service network to provide customers with tailor-made transport and logistics solutions.
