Maersk Air Cargo (DJ, Billund) expects that two B777-200Fs it ordered in November 2021 will arrive either by late summer or early autumn this year, the newly appointed global head of airfreight, John Wetherell, said in an interview with FreightWaves.
The freighters, ordered by the airline’s predecessor Star Air (Denmark), will fly under a Danish AOC and be positioned at Maersk Air Cargo’s main base at Billund, Wetherell said. The company will fly the B777s with its own crew, with job ads currently open in relation to the addition of the new aircraft type to the carrier’s fleet.
ch-aviation fleets data shows that Maersk Air Cargo currently has five B767-200(ERBDSF)s, four B767-200(PC)s, one B767-200(SF), five B767-300ER(BDSF)s, and two B767-300Fs.
The expansion comes as cargo demand continues to rise. According to IATA figures, total demand in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) rose by 10.3% compared to March 2023 levels and 11.4% for international operations. March marked the fourth consecutive month of double-digit year-on-year growth.
Earlier this year, Maersk registered a subsidiary in the United Kingdom to boost its expansion, launched scheduled cargo flights between Billund and Hangzhou in China, and has opened a new airfreight facility near Miami International. Wetherell said that Miami provides Maersk’s Asian customers looking to access the Latin American market with an alternative gateway.
In its financial report for the first quarter of this year, Maersk Air Cargo’s parent company, A.P. Moller – Maersk, said it expects continued container volume growth but also indicated that over-supply remains a challenge even though its “impact is delayed” at the moment. In March 2023, Maersk cut some of its US operations.
