Italy’s leading airport, Milan Malpensa, recently undertook a comprehensive review of its airport logistics facilities. This resulted in the appointment of a new cargo handling partner and materials handling equipment supplier.
Handling more than 170,000 tonnes of goods a year and an active customer portfolio of 70 airlines and more than 100 individual companies, Milan Malpensa airport is one of the most complex cargo airports in Europe. However, despite increased freight traffic throughout the whole of Europe, Italian airports have typically been unable to remain competitive due to their ageing infrastructure and inefficient processes.
Throughout its review of its Cargo City operation, Milan Airport recognised that although the needs and handling requirements of each customer differed they needed to demonstrate a commitment to delivering a consistently high level of service. Huge importance was therefore placed on all their logistics partners. This necessitated a brand new approach, focused on reliability and quality being implemented.
The ability to demonstrate a similar dedication to achieving the highest standards of materials handling led the airport, and its new cargo partners, Incontro, to identify established Yale dealers Bramieri S.r.l. and ORMIC S.p.A. as the preferred materials handling suppliers during the comprehensive logistics operations review.
Integrated approach
Both Yale dealers worked closely with the airport and Incontro to understand the logistics needs within the site’s Cargo City facility to ensure the most appropriate and effective materials handling solution was identified. This customer-oriented dealer strategy, combined with Yale’s worldwide reputation for reliable and productive high quality equipment, meant that Incontro was confident that the fleet and maintenance proposal presented by the Yale Dealers was the best solution possible.
In total 100 pieces of new Yale equipment are now in operation at the airport, ranging from pallet and reach trucks to three and four wheel counterbalance forklift trucks including several equipped for operation in temperature controlled environments. Each piece of equipment was individually specified to ensure that the resulting fleet catered for all of the airport’s needs whist ensuring the best possible combination of energy efficiency and productivity.
A range of battery options and load capacities across the fleet also ensured that the hugely varied materials movement requirements were accommodated and the complex logistics operation run as efficiently as possible.
On-site support
Part of the solution provided by Bramieri and Ormic includes a small on site warehouse within Cargo City to house spare parts and provide storage facilities. An on-site engineer is permanently located at the airport to provide ongoing maintenance services and to ensure truck uptime is kept to an absolute maximum.
Gianfranco Bramieri, President of Bramieri Carrelli Elevatori, said “The decision by Malpensa Airport to review its cargo handling operations was taken to help re-establish Italy as a key operator in the global cargo handling market at a time when air and sea freight are increasing in popularity.
He commented: “Many airports across Europe are seeing increased freight traffic. Unfortunately in recent times Italian facilities have been unable to remain competitive. This has now been rectified by the forward thinking of the airport owners. The changes implemented at Malpensa will have a positive effect on the airport’s ability to compete internationally and attract new business from some of the more lucrative, high value routes.”
Massimo Crovetto President of Ormic S.p.A. added “The way we approached the enquiry from Malpensa Airport and Incontro to identify the ideal materials handling and logistics equipment solution was typical of our customer-oriented strategy. We always strive to work closely with the customer to ensure synergy between both parties. In guiding our customers through the identification and purchase process step by step ensures that both a successful bespoke solution is delivered and an ongoing rapport between us and our customer is achieved.”
About Yale Europe Materials Handling
Yale Europe Materials Handling markets an extensive range of materials handling equipment and services, including electric, LP-gas and diesel powered forklift trucks, pallet trucks, stackers, order pickers, reach trucks and very narrow aisle trucks. Yale offers comprehensive Fleet Management services, as well as Yale service, parts, financing and training. Yale® trucks are manufactured in an ISO 9001:2008 registered facilities and range in capacity from 1.0 to 16 tonnes. For more information, or to find the Yale® lift truck dealer nearest you, visit www.yale-forklifts.eu.
Yale Europe Materials Handling is the trading name of NACCO Materials Handling Limited, a Division of NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc., (NMHG), which employs 5,300 people worldwide. NMHG is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of NACCO Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NC).