MSC Air Cargo has bolstered its weekly cargo service with a third 777 freighter, which also allowed it to add a new route between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Atlas Air recently took delivery of the 777F, and will be operating the aircraft on behalf of the company as part of their long-term agreement, according to a Nov. 30 press release. A fourth aircraft is expected to be delivered later this year.
MSC’s new freighter recently underwent test flights between Everett (PAE) and Moses Lake (MWH) airports in Washington, before making the trek to DFW for the first time on Dec. 3 via HKG and Anchorage (ANC), according to tracker Flightradar24.
“This latest 777 Freighter delivery accounts for a strategic addition to our MSC Air Cargo fleet, enabling us to address the market’s constantly changing demands and reinforcing our commitment to enhancing trade connections for our clients,” Jannie Davel, SVP of air cargo at MSC, said in a statement.
MSC Air Cargo has pushed ahead on its expansion plans since launching its carrier service in December 2022. The carrier initially began with flights between Mexico City (MEX), Indianapolis (IND) and HKG, among others, and since then has grown its network considerably to include destinations like Liege (LGG), South Korea (ICN) and Japan (NRT), according to MSC’s December schedule.
Fellow ocean carrier Maersk has continued with its own air cargo expansion strategy in recent months, despite an overall market slowdown.
In October, Maersk opened an air freight hub near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in a bid to grow its North American network and West Coast capacity. Maersk also opened another air cargo gateway in Georgia (ATL) and Chicago (ORD) earlier this year.
