The press releases came in thick and fast this week: cargo.one, CargoAi, WebCargo by Freightos – all within 30 minutes of each other on the first day of the week. The message was out: CMA CGM AIR CARGO has gone digital.
And the airline confirmed its hat-trick on the CMA CGM LinkedIn page a few hours later: “The Future of Air Cargo eBooking with CMA CGM AIR CARGO is Here. We’re thrilled to announce that we are now live on CargoAi, cargo.one, and WebCargo, expanding our digital booking options for greater convenience and accessibility. In addition to our own eBooking Portal, customers now have easy and direct access to our booking capabilities through these platforms.
With our fully omnichannel approach, making [sic] business with us has never been easier: Seamless, instant bookings; Intuitive, quick, efficient, and hassle-free experience; Real-time tracking and personalized notifications to keep you in control.This launch underscores our commitment to providing innovative, user-friendly solutions for the air cargo industry.”
Pretty young thing
Interestingly, this could be the first time that the airline adopting these established digital marketplaces is actually younger than the booking platforms themselves. Usually, it is the other way around – a long-standing airline opts for digital transformation via new technology providers. However, CMA CGM Group’s air logistics division, CMA CGM AIR CARGO, was launched in March 2021, which makes it two years younger than the next youngest company in this quartet: CargoAi.
CargoAi
CargoAi, which markets itself as the air cargo industry’s fastest-growing digital enabler, announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with CMA CGM AIR CARGO. The airline’s network and products are integrated into CargoAi’s CargoMART freight management platform, following completion of a successful testing period, thus exposing its services to the 17,000+ freight forwarders in 130+ countries, who regularly frequent the CargoAi marketplace. “CargoMART provides a range of features including real-time capacity and rate visibility, quoting, e-Booking, and Track and Trace functionalities. One differentiating feature of the platform is the ability to compare flight options by carbon emissions, track CO2 emissions at a shipment level, and purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) whenever required,” the release details, going on to underline the “mutual dedication to innovation and excellence in airfreight services” that the two companies share.
Matt Petot, CEO of CargoAi, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with CMA CGM AIR CARGO, a prominent leader in the air cargo industry. This partnership highlights our dedication to providing best-in-class digital solutions that optimize operations and drive efficiency in the air cargo sector.”
cargo.one
cargo.one, launched in 2017, boasts more than 25,000 freight forwarders, also across 130+ countries, and can lay claim to being the first instant booking platform of its kind. CMA CGM AIR CARGO has now joined the 60+ other airlines on the cargo.one digital marketplace, as the press release confirmed: “Freight forwarders using cargo.one in the United States, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy, can now book capacity for general cargo and perishable shipments to destinations including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Incheon, Guangzhou and Chicago. Capacity options are available up to 5000kg with CMA CGM Standard service, and with Express service on applicable routes. In time, more available markets are planned to be added.”
Moritz Claussen, Founder & Co-CEO of cargo.one, stated: “The addition of CMA CGM AIR CARGO capacity to our portfolio reflects the unique depth and diversity of our carrier options. We are delighted to add our expertise to CMA CGM AIR CARGO’s digital strategy and bring its compelling services within the quickest, most convenient reach of many more forwarders.”
WebCargo and 7LFreight
Last, but not least, Freightos has also gained CMA CGM AIR CARGO as a partner airline publishing capacity both on its WebCargo and 7LFreight cargo booking platforms. “Launched on 30JAN25, CMA CGM AIR CARGO’s capacity offerings through Freightos’ platforms will streamline logistics for customers, offering expanded capacity across major trade hubs in Europe, North America, and Asia,” its release specified. As with the previous platforms, users will be able to access the airline’s global air freight network, view real-time rates and directly book “on key trade-lanes connecting the United States, France, Italy, Spain, and Asia. This partnership highlights the growing importance of flexibility and scalability in today’s post-COVID supply chain environment, where businesses face ongoing disruptions and the need for reliable freight solutions,” it continued.
Wayne Tyndall, VP Commercial – Freight Forwarders & Airlines at Freightos, said: “Adding CMA CGM AIR CARGO capacity to WebCargo and 7LFreight makes it easy for forwarders to eBook shipments on key trade lanes, helping the industry adjust quickly to changing market conditions.”
Seamless booking experiences
Freight forwarders thus have an array of options open to them, all offering simple and seamless 24/7 booking experiences with various additional features depending on the channel. CMA CGM AIR CARGO is an airline with a difference, given its niche in a much larger company that covers maritime, intermodal, and logistics solutions, and provides customers with comprehensive transportation and logistics support across their entire supply chain. Deploying a fleet of 3 Boeing 777F aircraft, each with a payload of 102 tons, and 1 Airbus A330F aircraft, (61-ton payload), the airline will welcome another 2 new Boeing 777 freighters this year and is set to take delivery of 8 new generation A350 freighters (104-ton payload) in 2026. It carries the usual airline product types and operates out of France’s Paris-Charles de Gaulles Airport to key hubs in Asia Pacific, Greater China and North America. Its flight activities are complemented by a strong road feeder network between Paris and Milan-Malpensa, Amsterdam, Liege, Munich, and Frankfurt.
