Martinair places order for four new A350F aircraft

MARTINAIR, part of the KLM Group, has placed a firm order with Airbus for four new A350F freighter aircraft. Martinair is the operating carrier for KLM Cargo. The four A350Fs emit over 40% less CO2 and make 50% less noise than their predecessors. The compared to their predecessors. That is why we decided to place this order earlier than originally planned. Instead of in 2027, we will replace the freighters from autumn 2026. We are accelerating KLM’s sustainability efforts with this,” Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, said. new aircraft will replace the current Boeing 747 freighters from the second half of 2026.

AERO Africa air cargo management group has announced the appointment of Chair Professor Issa Baluch as a non-executive advisory board member effective 1st January 2023.

Baluch is credited with pioneering sea/air multimodal transport via UAE into Africa and other regions and was Founder and CEO of Swift Freight International, which he headed from 1989 to 2008. Issa has also been heavily involved in GSSAs and cargo airlines in the region.

“It is a pleasure and honour to be working with Professor Issa Baluch. We are confident that his advice and extensive experience in air cargo logistics in Africa and the Middle East will guide us to the right path for the future growth of our organisation and open doors to new opportunities,” Christos Spyrou, Group CEO, said.

“I am delighted to join the energetic leadership of Aero Africa and to play a role in their strategic growth plans in the Middle East & Africa,” Baluch added.

The A350F is the freighter version of the A350. It is suitable for carrying a range of cargos, including fresh produce, express shipments, pharmaceuticals, horses and oversized cargo. The maximum payload of the chosen configuration is 108 tonnes.

“Fleet renewal is an important part of KLM’s ambition to become more sustainable.

In this, we take our responsibility. We want to emit less CO2 because of the climate and reduce noise for local residents. The A350F reduces CO2 by over 40% and noise by 50%

William Carr

“In choosing the A350F, we are taking an important step to cut CO2 emissions and noise pollution. I am very pleased with these new, technologically advanced aircraft joining the fleet, which fit well in the Air France KLM Martinair Cargo operation. For our customers, the versatility of the A350F is good news for the future. The new aircraft are an important addition, supplementing the belly capacity of our extensive intercontinental passenger fleet,” Adriaan den Heijer, Executive Vice President of Air France-KLM Cargo and Managing Director of Martinair, said.

publishing, William Carr founded the company in 1993 with the A-Z Worldwide Airfreight Directory which was published twice each year and quickly became the industry’s principal source of reference before the internet took over.

In the following thirty years he oversaw the creation of Air Cargo Week, the development of various websites and the growth of major industry events around the world. He took the company into the digital age and guided it through the industry’s recent difficult times to ensure that the global airfreight community received its news and information every week without fail.

WITH great sadness we report the death of William Carr, chairman of A-Z Group Limited (Azura International), publishers of Air Cargo Week. His passing on 28th January followed several weeks of failing health.

From a family background in newspaper

Tributes have been received from trade and industry sources around the world. They include terms like; “an inspiration to so many”, “charming and courteous”, “a stalwart of printed publications in our sector”, “a fine gentleman”, “great insight” and many more. Nobody would disagree.

A true gentleman indeed and one who will be sorely missed.