Malpensa and air cargo starring at Assolombarda conference

27/06/2022

Spotlight on Malpensa and air cargo in the conference 'La ripresa parte da Malpensa - Il Cargo Aereo, supporto strategico per le industrie e la logistica' ('The recovery starts from Malpensa - Air Cargo, strategic support for industries and logistics'), organized by SEA Milan Airports, Gruppo Trasporti, logistica e infrastrutture of Assolombarda, and UNIVA, and held this morning at the Assolombarda’s Auditorium Giorgio Squinzi in Milan. The main players in the airport industry discussed the importance of a sector that has once again proved to be a key element in the reshaping of value chains to boost economic recovery. During the initiative, all the protagonists involved agreed that Malpensa must continue to play a leading role in this economic situation, supporting logistics and the manufacturing and distribution sectors, to ensure the competitiveness of our industry on international markets. Lombardy air cargo sector is of extraordinary importance in the Italian economic and production system.

SEA’S CEO Armando Brunini stated: "Cargo market is a strategic asset for the whole territory and for the whole country, as demonstrated during the pandemic when the freight sector was a fundamental factor in the resilience of the national economic and production system, unlike passenger transport which suffered a strong slowdown. When it comes to air cargo, Malpensa has been the main Italian airport for years, and it will be able to play a strategic role also at European level thanks to the growing demand for e-commerce and the dynamism of Italian business. SEA Milan Airports will do its part to make this development sustainable".

"The air cargo sector is strategic for the restart of our territories and has been decisive during the pandemic thanks to its adaptability and resilience - commented the president of Assolombarda, Alessandro Spada, introducing the session - Given the value of the sector, we have many doubts about the choice not to allocate resources for airports development under the PNRR (the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan). In fact, the need to rethink international supply chains cannot be separated from a fundamental player like Malpensa. Besides, it is an access point and a fundamental hub for the global market, which must be adequately enhanced in order to consolidate it as an important European hub. The airport is crucial in this difficult economic situation characterized by the Ukrainian conflict, which urges us to start a profound reshaping of global value chains and international trade dynamics, focusing on air transport even more".
"We cannot afford - stated the President of the Industrial Union of Varese, Roberto Grassi - the bottleneck of activities in Malpensa Cargo City, especially in this phase in which companies are facing the challenge of repositioning in global value chains and in the reorganization of international production chains. We ask the political-institutional system to support Malpensa Masterplan and the related expansion and growth of the Cargo Area, that is crucial for our manufacturing sector. We applaud the excellent agreement recently reached thanks to the commitment of local administrations, Lombardy Region, SEA and social parties. The agreement will push the Masterplan on the Government’s table with a broad consensus built on the territory. This is the proof that economic development, environmental balance, and social protection can be part of a single vision of development. Supporting Malpensa is a way of making industrial policy for the whole country. If we do not make a choice in favor of Malpensa today, we should not be surprised to be a country out of international trajectories of development tomorrow".

"Cargo was the first sector to recover to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 - said ENAC President Pierluigi Di Palma - thus confirming that it was the least affected segment by the entire air transport crisis, because goods have always continued to travel despite the restrictions in force. Actually, there have been considerable increases on certain airports that have become of major reference and, of course, Milan Malpensa is the case. Now it is necessary to pursue additional growth and further development through an intermodal, integrated and compatible cargo transport network”.​