Bollore Logistics has been working hard to retain its market leading position in France, vice president airfreight Europe Philippe de Crecy tells Air Cargo Week.
Speaking to ACW at transport logistic in Munich on 4 June, de Crecy said that Bollore has close to 20% of the market share in France, with no other company coming close. He says this gives Bollore a lot of responsibility and pressure.
For this year, de Crecy says: “This year the market has decreased a bit but not dropping because we are not exposed [in France] like in Germany to the drop in the automotive industry.”
The main markets out of France are luxury goods for well-known brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, which de Crecy says is still booming. The aerospace industry is also very important, and is not falling either.
De Crecy says: “We have fewer industrial accounts in France than we do in Germany, that’s why the slowdown of the market is not impacting us so much.”
Import wise, he says the pressure is not the same, with a decrease being noted, possibly linked to China. India and Bangladesh are increasing, while Vietnam and the Philippines are booming.
Bollore has also retained its number one slot out of France to the French West Indies, an important market with good yields, but it is mainly lower deck capacity on Air France’s network out of Charles de Gaulle airport.
In France, Charles de Gaulle is where the vast majority of air cargo is handled. Bollore has a large hub at the airport covering 30,000 sq m with direct access to the tarmac.
De Crecy says: “We did that because of the luxury goods request for security. It’s important to have direct access for luxury goods.”
De Crecy is optimistic about the French market, saying the cosmetics and luxury goods industries will continue to boom, having a strong impact on the market.
He adds: “The fact that Africa is important for France and for us it is the continent of the future. We are convinced that the growth will come through Africa in the coming years.”
