Cargoitalia expands to Shanghai

Cargoitalia expands to Shanghai    Cargoitalia, Italy's all-cargo airline, will start scheduled services to Shanghai in September using its recently arrived third MD-11 freighter.
   Starting Sept. 8, the airline will operate non-stop flights departing its Milan (Malpensa) hub every Wednesday and Sunday at 5 a.m. and arriving at Shanghai Pudong at 12:20 a.m. the following day.
   A series of ad-hoc flights during July have been used as a 'soft launch' to test all elements of the new operation, including increased payload and forward cargo door, the company said.
   In Shanghai, Cargoitalia is working with handling agent PACTL West (Shanghai Pudong International Airport Public Cargo Terminal Co. Ltd ' West), while China Eastern Airlines will provide ramp handling. Cargoitalia's general sales agent in Shanghai, New Asia Capital Resources, is the same company it has worked with in Hong Kong since the launch of scheduled services in September 2009.
   Cargoitalia plans to step up frequency of its Shanghai services to three times per week in October.
   By September, Cargoitalia's schedule from Milan will comprise two departures per week to New York, two to Chicago, one to Sharjah, three to Hong Kong, two to Dubai and two to Shanghai.
   Cargoitalia was relaunched under new ownership in April 2009. The airline's owners are ALIS Holding (66.7 percent) and Intesa SanPaolo (33.3 percent).