Air France KLM Martinair to add Cairo as freighter link this winter

Announcing its 2026-27 winter network, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) is to serve a total of 14 freighter destinations, as well as fly cargo to 112 cities – including those offered by partner Delta – across the joint Franco-Dutch flag-carrier’s passenger network during the Northern Hemisphere winter months.

The group announced it is adding a new freighter connection to Cairo in Egypt, as well as introducing Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Malé in the Maldives as widebody bellyhold cargo connections to its winter network, which extends from 25 October to 27 March next year.

The freight network is based on the carrier’s two hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The Egyptian capital will be served three times a week by Boeing 777F aircraft. And in another change to the all-cargo network, an Air France freighter will this winter fly to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) instead of Mumbai (BOM), the connection operated by twice-weekly 777F flights.

Meanwhile, the KLM/Martinair Boeing 747 freighter network will link Amsterdam to key markets across the Americas, Africa and Asia.

In one change this winter, services to and from Seoul from/to Schiphol will operate three times a week, made up of one direct connection and two flights offering a Hong Kong link.

Changes to the AFKLMP Cargo bellyhold network this winter from Paris Charles de Gaulle will see Punta Cana served three times a week by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from November, and Malé twice a week by

Airbus A350-900 from December.

Plus, seasonal services to Ottawa, Canada, and Barbados will also be restored. Joint venture partner Delta Cargo meanwhile offers cargo capacity on North Atlantic services to and from Europe.

‘Demanding season’

Said Pierre-Olivier Bandet, executive vice president cargo at Air France-KLM: “Winter is a demanding season for our customers, from the year-end peak to the flower season in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

“We combine dedicated maindeck capacity with the reach of our widebody and European belly networks via Paris and Amsterdam.”

In addition, Bandet noted: “With our new services to Cairo, Punta Cana and Malé, we offer our customers reliable capacity, flexibility and more choice throughout the season.”

In other recent news from AFKLMP Cargo, it was confirmed last month (September) that the carrier had launched a vacuum lifting aid in its build-up and break-down operation at the KLM Cargo Hub at Schiphol in an effort to make cargo handling less physically demanding.

The vacuum lifting aid from Swedish company LiftsAll supports employees in handling individual cargo boxes