The ECS Group has begun representing Meridiana as worldwide general sales and service agent (GSSA), servicing the airline with total cargo management throughout its whole supply chain. ECS sells the complete Meridiana product from all its numerous stations around the globe.

Meridiana offers capacity via its scheduled services from Italy to cargo destinations with wide-body services, including: Dominican Republic, Cancun, Cuba, New York JFK, Mauritius, Dakar, Mombasa and Zanzibar. The new three-year contract will focus mainly on the prime cargo routes to and from Mexico, the US and the Dominican Republic, but also beyond – supported by all global ECS links, the GSSA said.

Meridiana is flying with wide-body B767 aircraft and narrow-body B737 aircraft, with a capacity of about 10 tonnes. ECS expects to generate a good 4,000 tonnes per annum by transporting a vast amount of DGR and perishable commodities.

“We chose ECS because of their very trustworthy reputation and their excellent service. I am sure our new partnership will help us grow in those important cargo markets. ECS’s Total Cargo Management (TCM) is unique in standards, scale and quality,” said Meridiana CEO, Richard Creagh.

ECS Group COO Adrien Thominet commented: “We are proud to have gained Meridiana as a new client. As Total Cargo Management partner, we integrate our services seamlessly: scalable to global service,  tailor-made to the individual needs of Meridiana and her customers. That way, Meridiana and ECS can grow together, with shared values and aligned goals.”

Meridiana is an Italian airline controlled by AKFED (Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development), with its headquarters in Olbia. Following the merger with charter carrier Eurofly and the acquisition of the charter company Air Italy, during last five years, Meridiana has become one of the most important players in international leisure flights and its growth towards new medium and long haul destinations is ongoing.

The company connects the main Italian airports with Sardinia, Sicily and Naples as well as with Mediterranean or Egyptian destinations. The principal long range destinations are US (New York from Naples and Palermo), Maldives, Mauritius, Kenya, Zanzibar, Cabo Verde, Santo Domingo, Cuba and Brazil, mainly serviced from Milan Malpensa and/or Rome Fiumicino. Meridiana’s fleet consists of B737, B767 and MD-82 aircraft.