MSC teams up with Atlas Air

Shipping giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is following in the footsteps of competitors CMA CGM and Maersk by establishing dedicated air cargo-operations. The company has signed an agreement with Atlas Air, which will operate four new B777Fs for MSC. The four B777Fs were already ordered by the US cargo airline and are expected to be delivered from the last quarter of this year and will fly in a MSC-livery.

MSC or Atlas Air haven't communicated where the B777Fs will be operating from and which destinations they will serve. It's also unclear for how long MSC is wet-leasing the aircraft, the press statement just states "long-term".

Today, Atlas Air already operates a single B777F next to 21 B767-300Fs, five B767-300ERs, five B747-400s, 39 B747-400Fs, eight B747-8Fs and eight B737-800BCFs. The majority of the B767s and all of the B737s are operated by them for Amazon Prime Air.

Illustration by MSC.