TNT is launching a five-time weekly B737-400 freighter service between Venice and its Liege air hub in Belgium. The addition of Venice to TNT’s international air network will benefit exporters and importers trading with North-East Italy, who need guaranteed next-day delivery, flexibility and late collections.

The Veneto region, whose capital is Venice, is home to a dense network of export-oriented companies, most of which are SMEs. With the new air connection, TNT further strengthens its service to SMEs in Europe’s “Blue Banana” economic region.

“Manufacturers and retailers are constantly looking for solutions to connect with their suppliers and/or customers. Certainty of their deliveries is a key factor. With the new air service in Europe, we are able to bring our customers closer to their suppliers/customers, further evidence of TNT’s leadership on this key trade lane,” said Michael Drake, regional managing director of Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA),TNT.

To ensure smooth connections between air and road operations, the air gateway is located in the existing TNT Marcon depot, near Venice. It is TAPA-certified and can handle up to 10 air freight containers (or ULDs) with a loading capacity of 2,000 kg each. Opened in 2013, TNT’s Marcon depot uses advanced automated scanning and sorting equipment. From February 2015, the air gateway and the depot will use a new, fully automated sorting machine, which will speed up the sorting of export shipments by two hours. This equipment is being rolled out across TNT Italy depots.

TNT has been active in Venice since 1984. The Marcon depot employs 90 people and covers 3,776 square metres. It manages domestic shipments through 26 distribution vehicles and 6 “mototopi”, the motor barges used to transport goods in the lagoon and into the historic centre of Venice. Now that the air gateway is open, the facility will function as a model of intermodal transport hub in a logistically challenging area.