The first cargo flight from Taranto-Grottaglie to Istanbul has departed

The first cargo flight headed to Istanbul left this morning from Taranto-Grottaglie airport, a new connection designed to strengthen the ability of Apulian companies to reach international markets. The service was born from the collaboration between Poste Air Cargo and Turkish Cargo and allows goods departing from Puglia to access, through Istanbul, a network of over 300 destinations.

The products will be transported on a Boeing 737F from the Poste Air Cargo fleet to markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Northern Europe and North America. The connection focuses in particular on agri-food and allows us to reduce the use of road transport to other Italian and European cargo airports, with benefits on delivery times.

The experimental project, promoted by the Puglia Region, involves a three-year start-up phase, from 2026 to 2028, with a regional investment of over 1.3 million euros to support the start-up and encourage the consolidation of connections.

In the Grottaglie logistics hub, created by Aeroporti di Puglia with the sub-concessionaire Gesfa, structures have been set up for cargo activities, with particular attention to fresh goods and the cold chain. The objective is to strengthen the role of the airport as a logistics platform serving Puglia and the South.