Cargoitalia selects launch market GSSAs

Cargoitalia has appointed the General Sales and Service Agents (GSSAs) for its launch markets in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Canada and United States.

The new cargo airline, which is Italian-owned, will commence its first scheduled flights to Hong Kong on 9th September. Sales in Italy will be handled by the airline’s own sales team, while terminal and ramp handling at its Milan (Malpensa) Airport home base will be provided by ALHA and SEA respectively. In Hong Kong, Cargoitalia will be represented by New Asia Capital Resources Ltd, while handling will be performed by HACTL.

Starting 19th September, Cargoitalia will introduce its second route, operating twice weekly Milan-New York–Toronto–Milan–Abu Dhabi–Milan. In the USA, Cargoitalia has appointed Heavyweight Air Express (HAE) as its GSSA. HAE has sales offices in all major markets, and an established road feeder program which will connect to the airline’s services from JFK. All handling will be performed by WFS.

In Canada, Network Cargo Systems International Inc. (NCS) will market Cargoitalia’s capacity through its offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. The company also has international operations in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. NCS will use road feeders and air interline agreements to feed traffic from other points throughout Canada, and will also interline to attract cargo from Central and South America and the Caribbean. Ramp handling at Toronto will be performed by Handlex, while terminal handling will again be provided by WFS.

In the UAE, the airline’s capacity will be marketed by the Dubai arm of Heavyweight Air Express (HAE), assisted by its strategic venture partner Kargo Sistem of Istanbul. HAE will be responsible for marketing Cargoitalia throughout the Middle East and Turkey using interline agreements, road feeder services from neighbouring countries and interfaces with ocean carriers to extend its catchment area and capture sea-air business. ADAC will provide all handling services.

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

“We now have strong and highly-professional representatives in our launch markets, supported by carefully-chosen handling agents,” said Roberto Gilardoni, commercial director of Cargoitalia.

“Our GSSAs will be conducting export-, import- and consignee sales in their respective territories, and will be working closely with each other and Cargoitalia’s own sales staff in Italy, in order to maximise all opportunities on all sectors,” he added.

The new Cargoitalia is the result of amalgamating the original Cargoitalia (which suspended operations in 2008) with the recently-purchased Alitalia full cargo business.

The airline was recently been granted its AOC, and has already operated its first MD11SF aircraft. The second aircraft will be delivered in August, and a third MD11SF will follow within the coming months. In 2012, Cargoitalia will begin to take delivery of eight brand new A330-600 freighters which will phase out MD11 operations.

---