DFW joins Groupe ADP in air cargo cooperation agreement

TORONTO – On Wednesday, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) signed a memorandum of understanding with Groupe ADP, operator of Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) and others, to “develop air cargo strategies” and improve the movement of airfreight between the two global hubs.

Under the agreement, DFW and CDG pledged to work together to expand growth opportunities in several key industries, such as pharmaceutical transport, non-pharma perishables and various high-value luxury goods.

During TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum, John Ackerman, DFW’s executive vice president of global strategy and development, told Air Cargo World that DFW has “ a lot to learn” from CDG regarding air cargo handling, adding that its proximity to Mexico and Latin America can help “open up those markets” to CDG, as well. “There’s a tremendous amount of freight coming out of South America, but the challenge is the back haul,” he said. “We’ve been talking to some carriers about a loop coming westbound out of Europe and down into South America, up through Dallas and then back.”

Last month, Air France announced its resumption of flights to DFW, with seasonal service starting in in the spring of 2019, providing a second nonstop flight between DFW and CDG. In 2017, DFW revamped and expanded its cold-chain facility, allowing more capacity for temperature-sensitive goods, such as pharma, food and flowers.

The DFW-CDG agreement comes a few months after DFW led a trade mission to Europe, Ackerman said, which further strengthened the relationship between the gateway airports. DFW estimated that the trans-Atlantic relationship between Texas and France is worth US$6 billion in annual trade.