Milan Bergamo Airport has reported it will see a “healthy increase” in freighter operations heading up to the Christmas period and expects to see additional cargo traffic during the lead up to the festive season.
The airport said the commitment from cargo operators follows on from a strong 12 months where regular freighter movements have increased by 2.5 per cent versus the previous year.
Last year, Milan Bergamo handled 125,948 tonnes of cargo, accounting for 10 per cent of all air freight in Italy, with the airport seeing 8,145 freighter movements in 2017, averaging at 22 a day.
While movements are up, the airport said it should also be noted that carriers, including DHL Aviation in recent weeks have started operating larger freighter aircraft into the airport to accommodate growth, with aircraft such as the Airbus A330F making more regular appearances as part of DHL Aviation’s normal daily flying schedule from the airport.
The airport is managed by SACBO and director of commercial aviation, Giacomo Cattaneo said: “We are one of the leading cargo centres for Italy, and during the lead up to Christmas we are poised to see 4.3 per cent more weekly freighter movements than in a usual week this winter, helping distribute the planned increased throughput of goods.
“While we have grown passenger numbers to over 12 million a year, cementing Milan Bergamo as Italy’s third busiest commercial airport, it’s great to share the positive news of increased cargo operations, with cargo being a core part of our business.”
He added: “Cargo operations support 940 jobs at the airport which are directly related to the operation. The increased movements over the festive period by the likes of DHL and UPS further support these positions and helps boost the local and regional economy of Lombardy.”
