KLM, ALITALIA PREPARE TO START UP VENTURES
KLM and Alitalia will being operating an integrated schedule of cargo
and passenger activities and operations Nov. 1.
The airlines’ joint cargo and passenger ventures will be operational
Monday, although the two sides said there are a few issues outstanding.
The cargo and passenger ventures will each be directed by a managing
director. Mario Pascucci, vice president of Alitalia Cargo, has been named managing
director of the cargo joint venture. He will be based at Amsterdam Schiphol. Henny
Essenberg, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’s executive vice president, network organizer, will
head the passenger group, based in Rome.
The two airlines plan to strengthen their air freight network based on
two hubs, Milan Malpensa and Amsterdam Schiphol. The alliance, the
second-largest in the world, will provide cargo service to more than 200
destinations. With its partners, the venture will expand to 500
destinations in 90 countries.