AIR FRANCE TO LAUNCH NEW LINE OF CARGO SERVICES

   Air France, the world’s fourth-largest international air cargo carrier,
has announced it will launch a new line of international air cargo
services, including a new express product, new time-definite contract
services, special handling services and a deferred delivery offering.
   "We are redefining our entire product line," said Anne-Marie Rosaler,
Air France’s new U.S. director of cargo marketing.
   Air France will offer expedited delivery of shipments with a money-back guarantee. The service, called Equation, allows goods to be tendered for shipment up to 90 minutes before a flight and recovered at destination 90 minutes after arrival.
   Air France will devote all cargo capacity on its medium-haul aircraft to Equation shipments. The service is made possible by the airline’s new
express hub at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris, the company said.
   Air France will launch new capacity contracting services under a program called Cohesion. The airline said it will sign contracts with shippers and their forwarding agents to guarantee capacity, delivery times, packaging and pricing.
   Air France also will launch special handling services, under the name
Variation, for specific cargo, including hazardous materials and animals,
and deferred-delivery services for pallets and containers, under the name Dimension.
   Air France recently signed an alliance agreement with Delta Air Lines,
which is expected to launch a similar portfolio of cargo services.