Geodis to Maintain Airbus A330 Freighter Operations on Key China-UK Route Through 2024

Geodis will continue offering its own-controlled freighter capacity until at least the end of the year.

The freight forwarder’s leased Airbus A330-300P2F, operated by London Stansted-headquartered Titan Airways, is currently performing three rotations per week between the UK and China, carrying e-commerce goods.

Titan is operating a round-trip cargo route from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in southwestern China to London Stansted Airport in the UK three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The aircraft will continue to be operated “at minimum until the end of 2024,” said Eric Martin-Neuville, vice president of freight forwarding, Geodis, speaking exclusively to Air Cargo News.

The aircraft was leased during the height of the pandemic, but the tough market conditions last year resulted in a lot of doubt about how the return of capacity and lower rates would affect those in the industry that had invested in own capacity, especially on long-term contracts.

For Geodis, the volatile air cargo demand market last year meant it stopped flying between Asia, Europe and the US using the A330-300P2F.

But the company is positive on demand for the freighter on its current route and is currently “trying to see how we could be able to build a fourth China rotation between Europe and China”, explained Martin-Neuville.
Geodis does not yet know whether the lease will be extended, but Martin-Neuville said demand for e-commerce remains strong, and so if Geodis does not continue to operate the current leased A330, there are other options.
“The likelihood of continuing to fly for similar operations appears very high. Because the aircraft type is very conducive to e-commerce type of goods.”

In 2020, the forwarder also established a charter network that continues to operate.