Cargoitalia ready for first scheduled flight

After six months of intensive preparations and a few inevitable delays, Cargoitalia will operate its first scheduled service on Wednesday September 9th, following its recent relaunch under new ownership and management.

The first flight  – flight number 2G4230 – will operate from Milan to Hong Kong, departing 21.00 and arriving 17.00. The return flight  – flight number 2G4231- will operate the following day, departing 19.30 and arriving in Milan at 04.10. Services will then operate 2 times per week, on Wednesday and Saturday, using one of the airline’s 90 tonne capacity MD11-SF freighters.

A major reception will be held in Hong Kong to celebrate the first departure to Europe, attended by local freight forwarders and dignitaries.

Later in the month, Cargoitalia will commence scheduled services to the USA and Canada, utilising its second MD11-SF freighter.

Says Cargoitalia Commercial Director Roberto Gilardoni: “It is very exciting to reach this major milestone in our development, which is the culmination of 2 years of planning and organisation by our parent ALIS, and six months of intense activity since the purchase of the former Alitalia pure freight business.

“The market here in Italy is extremely supportive of our new venture, and we are very confident that we will quickly build a loyal business base for this and our future routes. It is clear that the Italian air cargo community greatly appreciates the restoration of Italian-owned and -managed pure freighter services, and we look forward to extending our network of destinations over the coming months.”

The new Cargoitalia is the result of amalgamating the original Cargoitalia (which suspended operations in 2008) with some of the assets of the Alitalia full cargo business in April 2009. In May 2009, the airline took delivery of its first MD11 freighter. In July, it received its AOC, and in August it took delivery of a second MD11F, and commenced ad hoc charter operations.

Cargoitalia’s new owners are ALIS (Aerolinee Italiane S.p.A.  – 66.7%) and Intesa SanPaolo (33.3%). ALIS in turn is owned by the family of Chairman and CEO Alcide Leali (62%), other private investors (8%), and Ricerca S.p.A. (Benetton), Selin S.p.A. (van den Heuvel) and Banca Intermobiliare, each having 10% stakes.

Quelle: Cargoitalia