MSC Air Cargo opened its first hub at Liège airport on December 3, 2022, basing the first of four B777-200Fs to be operated on its behalf by Atlas Air (5Y, New York JFK) out of the Belgian airport.
N707GT (msn 67992) was ferried from Cincinnati International to Liège on December 3 and subsequently departed on its inaugural revenue flight to Indianapolis International on the same day. The Switzerland-headquartered shipping firm said it would use Liège as a connecting hub to link its services to Indianapolis and México City International in North America and Hong Kong International in Asia. While the firm did not disclose details regarding the bases of the other three B777-200Fs expected in 2023, it hinted that it would increase the frequency of services to/from Liège next year.
Atlas Air will operate all four aircraft under a long-term charter agreement. MSC Air Cargo, in contrast to rivals CMA CGM and Maersk Aviation Holding, does not plan to obtain its own AOC at this stage.
Compared to its earlier announcements, MSC Air Cargo has dropped plans to serve Frankfurt Hahn with its first Boeing freighter.
