Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON
KLM has revealed a three-stage plan that will lead to the setting up of a standalone cargo airline early in the next decade in a joint venture with its alliance partners, Alitalia and Northwest Airlines.
The plan is part of the recently finalised link between KLM and Alitalia, which resulted in the Italian airline becoming a full member of the KLM/Northwest alliance (Flight International, 2-8 December). The idea was disclosed by KLM's director of corporate strategy and planning, Just Kerckhoff, during the recent Institute of Economic Affairs annual air transport conference in London.
The two airlines have already begun to integrate cargo operations and Kerckhoff says that "-in 1999, KLM and Alitalia will begin full joint operations of their all-cargo fleets". This will see KLM's two Boeing 747-200SUD freighters pooled with Alitalia's three 747-200Fs (including one on a long-term wet lease from Atlas Air). Cargo operations are being focused on KLM's hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and the new cargo hub being set up at Milan Malpensa Airport.
Kerckhoff says phase two, which will not begin before 2000, will involve the development of a full cargo joint venture between `Alitalia and KLM "and additional partners". This could include alliance partner Northwest, which already has a major all-cargo operation with seven 747-200Fs.
This stage will see the combination of the two airlines' entire cargo operations and handling, including their combi and belly-cargo businesses. Both carriers operate widebody combis - KLM has eight 747-200/300 and 14 -400 combis, while Alitalia operates one 747-200 and five Boeing MD-11 combis.
Although planning of the third phase of the cargo venture is under way, there is no definite timescale for the final stage. This will involve the creation of a standalone cargo company jointly owned by KLM, Alitalia, Northwest and possibly other partners, says Kerckhoff. "This will be a separate operation, with its own employees and so on," he adds.
At this stage, the company will look at all aspects of the integrated cargo business, including hub development, route network and fleet planning/ replacement.
This integration programme represents the first formalised plan to be undertaken on cargo by a global alliance grouping, and is likely to encourage rival alliances to follow. Star partners United Airlines, Varig and Lufthansa, along with future allies All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines, have all-cargo divisions that between them operate 40 full freighters, but no plans to integrate operations have been revealed.
Source: Flight International
