MSC takes another step! Acquisition of an air cargo company MSC takes another step! Acquisition of an air cargo company

MSC has announced that it has acquired a majority stake in AlisCargo Airlines, an Italian air cargo company, with the goal of obtaining full ownership of the company, which is expected to be completed in early 2024. AlisCargo Airlines will also take delivery of a Boeing 777 freighter during this period.

MSC said the deal will enhance its air cargo solutions capabilities. Like rivals Maersk and Duffy, Air Cargo complements MSC's core business of container shipping, which operates two Atlas Air Worldwide-managed aircraft between Europe, Central America and Asia, and will add two more new aircraft in the next six months. Once this transaction is completed, the MSC Air Cargo division will have a fleet of five wide-body aircraft.

Back in November last year, MSC abandoned plans to acquire Italian airline ITA, when it made an offer with Deutsche Lufthansa AG to buy ITA, which was rejected by the Italian authorities. Maersk took a big step forward in air cargo with the creation of Air Cargo in the spring of 2022 and the completion of its acquisition of German air cargo forwarder Senator later that year. Duffy, on the other hand, holds a 9% stake in Air France/KLM in addition to its own freighter fleet.