Emirates SkyCargo will launch a new weekly freighter service connecting Milan Malpensa Airport with John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York from December 5.
The service will give exporters in Italy, particularly the Lombardy region, direct access to the United States, one of the country’s most important trading partners. On the return leg, businesses in the Greater New York region will gain greater export connectivity to markets across the Middle East and Asia via Dubai.
A Boeing 777F will operate the route, offering around 100 tonnes of capacity per flight. Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President at Emirates SkyCargo, said Milan is a key air cargo gateway for Italy and Europe, where the carrier already provides more than 500 tonnes of weekly export capacity, including over 100 tonnes of bellyhold capacity on passenger flights to New York. He said the freighter will add main-deck capacity on this corridor, giving Italian exporters more access, flexibility and reliability.
Demand is rising on both sides. Exports from Milan carried by Emirates SkyCargo grew 13 percent in the 2025-2026 financial year, while volumes through John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports rose 23 percent between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, machinery, perishables and e-commerce shipments are among the key commodities.
The carrier also operates one weekly freighter between Milan and Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, and offers more than 1,000 tonnes of weekly export capacity across its four Italian gateways of Bologna, Milan, Rome and Venice.
Emirates SkyCargo launched freighter flights to Los Angeles and Dallas in 2026 and increased frequencies to Miami. It took delivery of eight freighters this year, helping grow its freighter network from more than 40 destinations in March to more than 60 by July.
News Source: WAM
