The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted CMA CGM Air Cargo a foreign air carrier permit.

It also granted the carrier's exemption request allowing it to carry out cargo and mail services between the US and the European Union (EU) until its permit becomes effective.

"We tentatively find and conclude that the public interest warrants granting the applicant a foreign air carrier permit," the US DOT said in a March 16 notice.

CMA CGM Air Cargo — the newly-established air freight division of shipping and logistics company CMA CGM — has applied for a foreign air carrier permit in the United States last month (February) as the carrier looks set to operate its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) airline in the first half the year.

It has also earlier applied for AOC and operations from the French Civil Aviation Authority and said that time that it "expects" to be approved soon.

Once it receives the said certificate from the French regulator, CMA CGM would be able to add more routes out of Paris CDG to boost its rapidly increasing freighter fleet.

The earlier application confirmed the France-based cargo carrier's plans to launch operations between Paris, France, and Chicago, Illinois as well as New York and Atlanta, Georgia, in Spring 2022.