Expansion of Maersk Air Cargo's freighter services extended to South America.

Maersk Air Cargo, a subsidiary of A.P. Moller Maersk, has made significant strides in expanding its cargo routes, with the recent launch of scheduled service from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina to Bogota, Colombia, in March. This marks the first time Maersk Air Cargo is operating aircraft to South America.

The move is part of Maersk's strategy to serve airports including Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, as well as other regions, in connecting South America with other parts of the world. The routes are operated twice per week with Maersk-owned Boeing 767-300 cargo jets, with flying outsourced to Amerijet.

In a notable personnel change, Christoph Hemmann has been appointed as the head of global air and less-than-containerload under the Maersk Logistics & Services organization. Hemmann, who previously served as the executive vice president for Asia Pacific at DB Schenker, will now be responsible for Maersk's cargo airline and its 18 aircraft. Murali Rajamani, who was the head of global air and less-than-containerload, has been transferred to another position within Maersk.

John McDonald, who was previously the executive vice president and head of airfreight for Americas at DB Schenker, has been appointed as the new head of Maersk Air Freight Forwarding. McDonald has held airfreight management roles at STG Logistics, UTi Worldwide, and Ceva Logistics before joining Maersk.

The new hires, Hemmann and McDonald, join Maersk after an exodus of personnel at DB Schenker following its acquisition by third-party logistics provider DSV.

Maersk Air Cargo's fleet consists of 10 767-300s and two Boeing 777 freighters. The company, which is currently the 15th largest airfreight forwarder by volume, has been providing services since it was established to move the cargo of its own customers after the Covid crisis.

A variety of commodities, including e-commerce orders, are carried on southbound legs, with return flights typically carrying perishable goods and flowers. The routes from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport are not the only new additions to Maersk's network. In May, Maersk began flying scheduled service from Chicago-Rockford International Airport to Santiago, Chile.

Last year, Maersk handled 327,000 tons of cargo, representing an 11% year-over-year increase. The company's growth and expansion are set to continue as it continues to strengthen its position in the airfreight industry.

John Wetherell, the previous head of Maersk Air Freight Forwarding, has left the company. Amerijet, which has been providing pilots and routine maintenance for Maersk's air network operating between the U.S. and Asia since late 2022, will continue to play a crucial role in Maersk's operations.