Cargo airline Atlas Air announced on Monday that it has entered into a new partnership with cruise line MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
After not being chosen by the Italian government to continue with an exclusive negotiation to take control of ITA Airways, the shipping company will develop an air cargo solution to complement its container shipping services.
The agreement stipulates the provision of ACMI services (provision of aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) by Atlas Air on a long-term basis. In January this year, it jointly announced with Boeing the completion of an order for four 777-200F. Delivery of the aircraft, which will operate for MSC, are scheduled to take place during the last quarter of 2022.
The maritime company’s air cargo division, MSC Air Cargo, could begin operations in early 2023. The company appointed Jannie Davel, formerly a senior executive at Emirates SkyCargo, Delta Cargo and DHL, to develop the business and lead the team that will run it.
“We are pleased to welcome MSC as a new customer, and look forward to supporting MSC as it develops its airfreight business and further enhances its position as a global leader in transportation and logistics”, commented John Dietrich, President and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide. “This new agreement will allow MSC to capitalize on the state-of-the-art service solutions provided by our aircraft and crews, as well as the unparalleled air cargo expertise brought by our Atlas team”, he added.
For his part, Soren Toft, CEO of MSC, welcomed the development of the company’s air cargo division and said that the partnership with Atlas Air “is the first step” into that market. “We plan to continue exploring various avenues to develop air cargo in a way that complements our core business of container shipping”, he said.
