Cargoitalia receives Italian operator approval

Cargoitalia receives Italian operator approval    All-cargo airline Cargoitalia has received its air operator's certificate following a full review of its operations by the Italian civil aviation authority.
   Flights may start using Cargoitalia's recently delivered first MD-11 freighter, which the airline will use to operate a series of ad-hoc charters in July and August, before commencing the planned scheduled operations in September.
   'We have decided to defer the startup of our scheduled services until September, when demand will be stronger,' said Roberto Gilardoni, Cargoitalia's commercial director, in a statement.
   'In the meantime, operating charters will give us an ideal opportunity to ensure our aircraft, systems and staff are functioning at full efficiency,' he said. 'This means we can hit the ground running in September, without any of the teething problems we might otherwise face.'
   Cargoitalia is expected to soon take delivery of the second of three MD-11 freighters, which will be deployed on a different route. The third MD-11 is due in the next six months. The airline also has orders for eight Airbus A330-200 freighters, which will enter service from 2012.
   The new Cargoitalia is the result of amalgamating the original Cargoitalia, which suspended operations in 2008, with the recently purchased Alitalia full cargo business. Cargoitalia's new owners are Aerolinee Italiane S.p.A. (66.7 percent) and Intesa SanPaolo (33.3 percent). Aerolinee Italiane in turn is owned by the Leali family (62 percent), other private investors (8 percent), and Ricera S.p.A. (Benetton), Selin S.p.A. (van den Heuvel) and Banca Intermobiliare, each having 10 percent stakes.