Milan Malpensa is upping its game in the cargo sector, having celebrated the inaugural Italian flight operated by MSC Air Cargo which departed for Tokyo in Japan on Friday 6 October. The Boeing 777-200 Freighter had originally arrived from Liege Airport in Belgium before departing for Tokyo, Japan as part of a new weekly service that will be operated every Friday. It has a maximum payload capacity of up to 100 tonnes and will primarily focus on exporting high-value Italian products, including luxury fashion and accessories, destined for the Far East markets.
“We are delighted to have celebrate this significant inaugural flight dedicated to the Italian market alongside our clients,” said Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President of MSC Air Cargo. Explaining that MSC Air Cargo is in the early stages of development, he added, “we have plans for significant investments to build and create more air transport solutions designed for products that need to reach their final destination at greater efficiency and as a top priority, including pharmaceuticals, perishable goods, or even automotive items.”
A newcomer on the cargo scene, MSC Air Cargo has been operational since late 2022 serving flights between Europe, Central America and Asia. The company currently operates two aircraft.
Francesco Raschi, Cargo and Real Estate Director of SEA Aeroporti di Milano, added: “We are please to welcome MSC Air Cargo to Malpensa and are delighted to have seen their first plane take off from here in Italy. We hope this event marks the beginning of a significant development programme at Malpensa, where all the major industry players are already present, working to support the development of the entire region.”
Malpensa saw 721,000 tonnes of cargo being shipped through its facility in 2022.
