Air France KLM Martinair Cargo and Jet Airways Cargo have signed a memorandum of understanding to shape and further strengthen their existing cargo cooperation.

Under the agreement, the two SkyTeam Cargo carriers will work to link and leverage their respective route networks to enable them to create and offer expanded high-value cargo services, as well as new products geared towards the needs of specific industries such as pharmaceuticals, express and e-commerce.

“We share the ambition to jointly explore and exploit the vast opportunities in the air cargo market via mutual synergies in the areas comprising our routes and networks, as well as warehousing amongst others,” said Pradeep Kumar [right in photo], senior vice president of Jet Airways Cargo. “We also intend to work closely to co-create new and industry-leading products and services for our clients.”

The MoU will enable the partners to offer higher-value services including those on high-frequency routes and to bring new destinations into the service framework via their respective hubs and gateways in India, France and the Netherlands. The two carriers will also collaborate to expand and optimize volumes from emerging Indian markets such as Bengaluru and Chennai.

“This agreement stipulates again the importance of strong partnerships in the air freight market,” said Marcel de Nooijer [left in photo], EVP of Air France KLM Cargo. “With the dynamic developments in India, we are excited to offer new opportunities to our customers and strengthen our global network towards the Indian freight market. Together with Jet Airways, we will work on new possibilities!”

The two partners aim to eventually create an integrated commercial and operational cargo cooperation model between India and Europe, synergizing their respective cargo networks, bringing in efficiencies in warehousing, exchanging capacities and setting up block space arrangements.

The signing of the MoU complements the passenger codeshare agreements in place between Air France-KLM and Jet Airways. The combined cargo handled by the partner carriers has more than tripled since the launch of the codeshare agreements, according to Air France-KLM.

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo offers maindeck cargo capacity on nine Boeing 747-400 Combis, four 747-400 Freighters and two 777Fs, as well as bellyhold capacity on the Air France KLM Group’s passenger fleet, while the Jet Airways Group operates a fleet of 115 aircraft, including 777-300ERs and Airbus A330s.