Thirty years after the start of their collaboration, Globe Air Cargo France and Air China Cargo are marking a partnership that has quietly grown alongside the rapid expansion of Europe–China air freight flows.
What began in 1996 with cargo capacity agreements on passenger flights has gradually evolved into a much broader commercial and operational partnership. Today, Globe Air Cargo France manages cargo sales not only for Air China Cargo’s passenger operations, but also for its freighter network across major European hubs including Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Liège.
Over the years, the relationship has moved well beyond simple capacity distribution. It has become a long-standing commercial structure supporting one of the most important cargo corridors between Europe and Asia.
Air China Cargo now operates 12 weekly passenger flights between Paris and Beijing, alongside daily freighter services across Europe. This network is backed by a growing fleet and longer-term expansion plans that include additional freighter capacity in the coming years.
According to ECS Group’s French subsidiary Globe Air Cargo (GAC) France, the partnership has been central to Air China’s cargo development over the past three decades, including its transition toward a dedicated cargo subsidiary in 2003. That shift marked a turning point, strengthening the airline’s positioning in the European market while deepening its reliance on established sales and distribution support.
As described by Franck Tordjman, Managing Director of Globe Air Cargo France, the scope of the partnership has steadily expanded alongside Air China Cargo’s operational footprint in Europe.
Today, Globe Air Cargo France is responsible not only for passenger cargo flows from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Beijing and the weekly Paris–Chengdu service, but also for optimising load factors across Air China Cargo’s daily freighter operations out of Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Liège.
The objective, he explains, has remained consistent over time: maximising cargo sales while responding to market demand for capacity. That continuity has been reinforced by long-term cooperation between commercial teams on both sides, helping to stabilise performance across multiple European gateways.
Air China Cargo’s European schedule reflects this evolution. The airline currently operates 12 weekly passenger flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Beijing (PEK), mainly using Boeing 777 aircraft and two Airbus A350s, as well as a weekly Airbus A350 service between Paris CDG and Chengdu (TFU).
Alongside this, daily freighter operations from Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Liège have become a structural part of its European network over the past 15 years.
The carrier’s current fleet includes 24 cargo aircraft, among them Boeing 777 freighters, three Boeing 747 freighters, and eight Airbus A330-200/P2F conversions. Looking ahead, six Airbus A350 freighters are scheduled to enter service from 2029, further expanding its long-term capacity strategy.
What emerges from this 30-year partnership is a commercial relationship that has grown in step with the wider transformation of Europe–China air cargo flows — moving from opportunistic capacity sales to a deeply integrated, multi-hub cargo network built on sustained cooperation.
