Qatar Airways and Martinair Cargo Cuts South American Routes

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BOGOTA- Qatar Airways Cargo (QR) and Martinair (MP) plan to reduce their freighter services to South America in September 2024. This decision affects key routes across the South Atlantic, surprising freight forwarders with allocated volumes on these paths.

Qatar Airways Cargo will stop Boeing 777 freighter flights to Santiago and Viracopos. However, they’ll maintain services to Bogotá, Quito, and Guarulhos. The airline will also cut some U.S. routes.

Qatar Airways Cargo Exits South America

Martinair will limit its South American service to Bogotá, suspending flights to other destinations below the Panama Canal.

These changes will remove about 600 tons of cargo capacity from the market. Qatar Airways Cargo’s cuts affect three Boeing 777F flights from Luxembourg to South America, reducing capacity by over 300 tons.

Martinair previously operated three weekly Boeing 747ERF flights from Amsterdam to Viracopos, with two services extending to Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. This offered 330 tons of capacity.

This move surprises freight forwarders and raises concerns about capacity, reported Cargoforwarder.

Three key factors drive this decision:

Higher per-kilogram rates on Far East routes compared to South American ones.
Booming e-commerce market between China and Europe/Middle East.
Time-consuming and costly rotations to South American destinations like Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Santiago de Chile, and Viracopos.

Adriaan den Heijer, EVP Cargo at Air France-KLM and Managing Director Martinair, confirms the strategic shift. He cites growing e-commerce demand in East Asia as a key driver for increased air freight solutions.

Martinair introduces a new Boeing 747 freighter service to Hong Kong, adding main deck capacity to their belly network. This expansion aims to strengthen their Asian freighter presence and offer more options to customers.

Focus on Asian and European Markets

Martinair resumes flights to Hong Kong from Amsterdam on September 19, 2024, after a nine-year hiatus. The airline will operate three weekly flights, increasing to four, via Dubai using a Boeing 747-ERF with a 110-ton payload capacity.

Martinair maintains its Bogotá route with three weekly Boeing 747F rotations via Miami. Air France-KLM continues to offer cargo capacity on 145 weekly passenger flights to 24 Latin American and Caribbean destinations.

Qatar Airways Cargo discontinues its South American flights in September, affecting four weekly frequencies. The carrier relies on partnerships with airlines like LATAM to maintain service to Latin America, though without formal capacity agreements due to regulatory constraints.

QR Cargo also eliminates routes between Europe and the U.S., removing Atlanta from its network while maintaining Chicago service. These changes reflect QR Cargo’s strategy to address market demands and shift capacity to India, China, Vietnam, and Europe.

The cargo carrier emphasizes its position as a global leader, serving over 60 freighter destinations and 170 passenger destinations. This network adjustment demonstrates the dynamic nature of the air cargo market and the need for carriers to adapt to changing customer needs and market conditions.

Opportunity for Others

QR Cargo and Martinair’s exit from South American main deck services creates a significant capacity void in the air freight market. This gap, however, presents an opportunity for carriers like Cargolux, Lufthansa Cargo, and LATAM Cargo to expand their operations and capture additional market share.

LATAM Cargo emerges as a frontrunner in this scenario, operating 10 weekly cargo flights using 767Fs from key European hubs to multiple destinations in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. This extensive network positions LATAM Cargo advantageously, especially if air freight demand surges during the upcoming peak season.

Cargolux maintains a strong presence with three weekly 747 freighter flights serving Viracopos, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Quito. Lufthansa Cargo complements its four weekly freighter services to six destinations with daily passenger flights to major South American cities.

The cargo capacity in Lufthansa’s passenger aircraft lower decks equals that of three Triple Seven freighters, significantly boosting their overall freight capabilities.

What are your thoughts on Qatar Airways and Martinair’s decision to cut such routes? Let us know in the comment section.

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