News / New logistics park at BGY could open a new export chapter for the airport

Shippers, forwarders and airlines could solve their “extremely challenging new network and distribution needs”, thanks to a new logistics park at Milan Bergamo (BGY), the airport has claimed. 

The value of the investment going into BGY for its new logistics park is approximately €52m ($56m). The overall area is 41,000 sq metres, including areas for approach roads and car and truck parking.  

“Aware of the fact that passenger and cargo airlines have different needs, we decided to move all cargo activities and facilities to the new logistics park, recently built in the northern part of the airport. It has a dedicated apron and taxiway and separate road accessibility,” said Dario Nanna, of BGY’s commercial aviation department. 

“In practice, we will have two airports, one passenger and one cargo, sharing the same runway,” he explained to The Loadstar. 

Some 3.4% of Italy’s exports depart from Bergamo, and the province ranks fifth place in value of Italy’s exports after Milan, Turin, Vicenza and Brescia. 

BGY has a long history in airfreight, as it has been the main DHL gateway in Italy for over 30 years. However, DHL has recently re-positioned to Malpensa, and BGY is now home to the Italian UPS gateway. 

Chadi Fares, MD of European logistics company EuroLanes, explained: “UPS is kind of filling the gap after DHL moved, but BGY as an airport is pushing a lot for the expansion.” 

Mr Nanna said: “We believe that not only the area of Bergamo, but the entire Lombardy cluster needs new cargo infrastructure to support the fast-growing demands of exports.” 

Among the driving sectors of Bergamo’s exports are machinery, base metals, chemical products, motor vehicles, rubber and plastic materials, electrical appliances, food and textiles and clothing. 

Mr Fares said: “BGY is already a point of interest for forwarders. The market here is not as aggressive and busy as the Milan region, but we are only an hour away. As a logistics company operating with offices in the Bergamo region, we find this a very interesting development… And if, as a five-year setup, we see this opportunity, I can only assume that others see it as well.” 

BGY is taking the development seriously: it has hired air cargo and airport specialist Massimo Roccasecca, formerly group cargo director for four Italian airports and CEO of Brescia Airport. He said that as a result, “the international cargo community is getting to know that BGY is not only for passengers, but it is building a valid, and tangible, cargo-friendly environment”.

Mr Nanna concluded: “We trust the cargo market will create new opportunities for our airport. All considered, while others are constantly making big announcements of investments, BGY is currently the only airport in Northern Italy with brand new infrastructure and facilities already built and available for cargo.” 

The top ten countries for trade with Bergamo are Germany, France, the US, Spain, UK, Poland, Netherlands, Switzerland, China and Austria. BGY serves 145 destinations spanning 40 countries operated by 21 airlines.  

The airport handled 20,827 tonnes of freight in 2022, Milan Malpensa handled 721,255 tonnes across the same period. The total freight handled by Italian airports in 2022 was 1,107,501 tonnes, up 1.7% from 2021, and 0.3% from 2019.