Poste Air Cargo

Poste Air Cargo is an Italian cargo airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Poste Italiane. The carrier is headquartered in Rome and operates through hubs at Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and Brescia Airport. It specializes in the movement of mail and freight for the Poste Italiane group and other customers, with operations focused on scheduled cargo services rather than passenger transportation. The airline originated as Mistral Air, a company established in 1981 by Italian actor and former swimmer Bud Spencer, whose legal name was Carlo Pedersoli. Operations began in 1984. During its earlier history, the airline combined passenger and cargo activities and operated a range of aircraft, including Grumman G.159 Gulfstreams, leased Fokker F27s, British Aerospace BAe 146 freighters and Boeing 737 aircraft. The BAe 146QT became an important part of its cargo capability, while Boeing 737s were introduced from 2006. Mistral Air was wholly owned by TNT N.V. until March 2002, when TNT sold a 75 percent interest to Poste Italiane. Poste Italiane subsequently became the sole owner. Under the Poste Italiane group, the airline supported postal logistics and also maintained passenger activities for a period. It operated domestic scheduled services, international charter flights and special pilgrimage services commissioned by the Holy See. These pilgrimage operations connected Italy with religious destinations including Lourdes, Fátima, Santiago de Compostela, Medjugorje, the Holy Land, Poland and Mexico. The first recorded Vatican pilgrimage flight operated from Rome to Lourdes on 27 August 2007 and carried the vicar of Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini. The passenger business became increasingly difficult to sustain. In May 2018, Poste Italiane announced that Mistral Air would withdraw from scheduled and charter passenger flying and concentrate on cargo. The decision followed years of losses and the loss of a public-service-obligation contract for Italian domestic routes. Passenger operations ended during 2018, with the last destinations including Cagliari, Catania, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Brescia, Pescara and Tirana. The strategic shift made the airline a dedicated cargo operator within Poste Italiane's logistics network. On 1 October 2019, Mistral Air was rebranded Poste Air Cargo. The new name made the airline's connection with Poste Italiane explicit and aligned its identity with the group's postal and logistics activities. As of the available reference material, Poste Air Cargo operates scheduled domestic cargo services in Italy together with international services from Rome. Its role is principally operational and logistical: it provides air capacity for time-sensitive mail and freight rather than presenting itself as a consumer-facing passenger airline. Detailed current fleet composition, executive leadership, financial results and a standalone corporate website are not established in the supplied sources.

Poste Air Cargo traces its origins to Mistral Air, an Italian airline founded in 1981 by actor and former swimmer Bud Spencer, whose birth name was Carlo Pedersoli. The company began flying in 1984. Its early activities included passenger and cargo operations, and its fleet developed from smaller aircraft into types suitable for regional passenger work and freight transport. Three Grumman G.159 Gulfstreams were used between 1986 and 1989, followed by leased Fokker F27 aircraft. From 1987, the airline introduced British Aerospace BAe 146QT freighters, and Boeing 737 aircraft entered the fleet from 2006. Mistral Air was initially owned by TNT N.V. In March 2002, TNT sold a 75 percent stake to Poste Italiane, leaving the postal group as the controlling shareholder; Poste Italiane later became the airline's sole owner. The carrier continued to perform passenger services for a time, including scheduled domestic flights in Italy and international charter operations. It also developed a distinctive relationship with the Holy See by operating pilgrimage flights to religious destinations. These included Lourdes, Fátima, Santiago de Compostela, Medjugorje, the Holy Land, Poland and Mexico. The first cited Vatican pilgrimage flight departed Rome for Lourdes on 27 August 2007 and carried Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the vicar of Rome. The passenger segment later became commercially unsustainable. Poste Italiane stated in May 2018 that Mistral Air would cease its scheduled and charter passenger services and focus exclusively on cargo. The move followed years of losses and the loss of a public-service-obligation agreement supporting Italian domestic routes. Passenger flying ended during 2018. Destinations served near the end of that phase included Cagliari, Catania, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Brescia, Pescara and Tirana. On 1 October 2019, the company changed its name from Mistral Air to Poste Air Cargo. The rebranding emphasized its role within Poste Italiane and its transition from a mixed passenger-and-cargo carrier to a postal freight specialist. The airline's cargo network has included scheduled domestic services in Italy and international services from its Rome base, with Rome Fiumicino and Brescia identified as operating hubs. The available reference material does not establish a complete current fleet list, current management roster, financial performance or a verified official website, so those details remain unspecified.

• 2019

  Mistral Air becomes Poste Air Cargo

  [1]Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org

  The airline adopts its current name on 1 October.

• 2018

  Passenger operations are discontinued

  [1]Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org

  Poste Italiane announces a shift away from scheduled and charter passenger services toward an exclusively cargo-focused model.

• 2007

  First recorded Vatican pilgrimage flight

  [1]Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org

  Mistral Air flies from Rome to Lourdes on 27 August for a Vatican pilgrimage service.

• 2002

  Poste Italiane acquires a controlling stake

  [1]Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org

  TNT sells 75 percent of Mistral Air to Poste Italiane in March, beginning the airline's integration into the Italian postal group.

• 1984

  Commercial operations begin

  [1]Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org

  Mistral Air begins airline operations in Italy.

• 1981

  Mistral Air is established

  [1]Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org

  The airline that later became Poste Air Cargo is founded by Bud Spencer, also known as Carlo Pedersoli.

A postal and logistics-focused cargo airline within the Poste Italiane Group, serving time-sensitive mail and freight markets after withdrawing from passenger operations.

• Air freight

  Scheduled air cargo

  Poste Air Cargo operates scheduled cargo flights supporting the movement of mail and freight within Italy and on international routes from Rome. The service is designed around the Poste Italiane logistics network and the transportation of consignments requiring air connectivity. The available source identifies Rome Fiumicino and Brescia as hubs but does not provide a complete current route or capacity specification.

• Postal logistics

  Postal air transport

  The airline provides air transportation capacity for postal traffic and related logistics flows. This is the core strategic role established after the withdrawal from passenger flying in 2018. It functions as a transport component of Poste Italiane's broader delivery and logistics operations rather than as a retail parcel brand with independently documented consumer products.

• Air freight

  Charter cargo services

  Cargo charter capability forms part of the airline's freight-oriented operating model. Historically, the predecessor Mistral Air also performed charter passenger flying, but those passenger activities ended in 2018. The supplied sources do not detail current charter customers, aircraft allocations or contractual terms.

• 2019

  Rebranding as Poste Air CargoStrategy

  Background

  Following the withdrawal from passenger operations, the airline required an identity aligned with its postal freight role and ownership by Poste Italiane.

  Action taken

  Mistral Air was renamed Poste Air Cargo on 1 October 2019.

  Aftermath

  The new name positioned the carrier as Poste Italiane's dedicated air-cargo operator.

  Source

• 2018

  Concentration on cargo operationsStrategy

  Background

  Mistral Air had experienced losses for several years and had lost a public-service-obligation contract for Italian domestic passenger services.

  Action taken

  Poste Italiane announced that scheduled and charter passenger flying would end and that the airline would focus on cargo.

  Aftermath

  Passenger services ceased during 2018, and the airline continued as a cargo-focused operator before adopting the Poste Air Cargo name in 2019.

  Source

1. 1Poste Air Cargoen.wikipedia.org