On October 7 MSC Air Cargo launched its first service between Milan Airport and Narita Airport. Before landing in the Japanese capital, the Boeing 777F made a stopover at Liege Airport (Belgium).
The inaugural flight, which is part of a once-weekly (Friday) schedule, departs Malpensa Airport at 15:55 and arrives at Tokyo-Narita Airport at 15:00 local time, providing next-day delivery of goods.
«MSC Air Cargo is in the early stages of development, and we plan to make significant investments to build and create more airfreight solutions designed for products that need to reach their final destination more efficiently and on a priority basis, such as pharmaceuticals, perishables or even automotive items,» said Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President, MSC Air Cargo.
The aircraft has a maximum cargo capacity of up to 100 tons and is primarily aimed at exporting high-end Italian products, such as accessories and luxury clothing, to Far East markets.
MSC Air Cargo began operations in late 2022, when it received its first Boeing 777F in service for flights between Europe, Central America and Asia. The company currently has two cargo aircraft in operation and expects to receive more.
In collaboration with SEA, Milan’s airport system operator, an inaugural flight celebration was held in the presence of more than 35 local companies, airport authority representatives and airline staff.
«We are pleased to welcome MSC Air Cargo to Malpensa and are delighted to have seen its first aircraft take off from here in Italy. We hope that this event marks the beginning of an important development program in Malpensa, where all the major players in the sector are already present, working to support the development of the entire region«, said Francesco Raschi, Director Cargo and Real Estate of SEA Aeroporti di Milano.
In 2022, 721,000 tons of cargo were mobilized at Milan-Malpensa Airport, this represents an increase of 28% compared to 2019 levels. Of these total volumes, over 320,000 tons were mobilized by all cargo services (+10 compared to 2019), while the courier segment, with 291,000 tons, accounted for 40% total cargo compared to 14% in 2019 (+259).
