AlisCargo prepares for first MSC freighter
03 / 05 / 2024
Photo: MSC
Milan-based airfreight carrier AlisCargo Airlines is preparing to restart operations with a 777 freighter that will be flown on behalf of MSC Air Cargo.
This follows Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) majority stake acquisition in AlisCargo Airlines last August and subsequent 100% takeover this year.
AlisCargo received its AOC in July 2021 and had been operating preighters during the pandemic, but its operating licence was suspended last year by the Italian civil aviation authority, prior to its acquisition by MSC.
Associazione Aeroporti Lombardi (Lombardy Airports Association) said in a LinkedIn post on May 2: “The Boeing 777 freighter is now ready and will be included in the Italian AOC of Alis Cargo and will fly on behalf of the new owner MSC Air Cargo, an airline of the Aponte group.”
The organisation added that MSC livery has been added and test fights have been carried out.
Jannie Davel, senior vice president of MSC Air Cargo, said that the aircraft will “enhance our efficiency and capabilities to better service our customers and trade lanes”.
MSC Air Cargo launched operations in December 2022 and adopted Liège Airport as its European hub.
At the beginning of this year, the last of four newbuild Boeing 777 freighters was delivered to Atlas Air, which is operating the aircraft under an ACMI agreement with MSC Air Cargo.
MSC also expanded its air cargo network in the last quarter of 2023.
In October the carrier added Milan Malpensa and Tokyo Narita to its service operating between Europe, Asia and North America. And in November, the airline added a connection from Quito (UIO) to Liege twice per week, in addition to Zaragoza to Mexico City on a weekly basis, to its service covering Europe, Asia and Latin America.
However, in February this year, MSC Air Cargo ended its GSSA partnership with the ECS Group, which has been the airline’s GSSA in North America, Europe and Mexico since May last year.
