The agreement offers a combination of wide-body and main-deck capacity on the Europe-China leg and access to an extensive network of unique destinations from their respective hubs. AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR Cargo will serve the main cities in Australia and supply main-deck capacity to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh from the hub at Guangzhou. Paris-Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Schiphol will provide China Southern Cargo with access to wide-body belly capacity to the North and South Atlantic markets – Atlanta, Miami, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires to name but a few – as well as capacity to Africa, with both European hubs serving Lagos.

In the first stage of the agreement a smooth use of each parties’ ground handling facilities at their hubs will enable a faster and seamless transfer process.

The agreement also covers mutual access to the airlines’ respective networks through interlining SPA (Special Prorate Agreements). The partners will also intensify their cooperation on the Express and Mail premium products in response to the substantial increase in e-commerce trade between Asia and Europe, and beyond.

Mr Bram Gräber, EVP AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR Cargo and Mr Zhao Fengsheng, SVP China Southern Cargo, signed up to this new partnership at a ceremony in Guangzhou on 15 September, 2015.