Air Malta has signed an agreement with cargo experts Network Airline Services as its Total Cargo Management service provider, the airline said today. 

The agreement will come into effect on 1 June and follows an adjudication process involving an international request for proposals. 

An Air Malta statement said that the agreement will provide the airline with a guaranteed income, although it did not quantify this.

The airline also said that it expected the agreement to generate cost savings "in terms of better synergy shared between Air Malta and NAS across important functions such as sales and marketing, pricing and revenue management, cargo reservations, revenue accounting, back-office administration, IT systems, cargo
handling and interline contracts."

The agreement would also allow the airline to regroup its cargo business and look for avenues for future growth, it added. 

Air Malta cargo head John Vella said that NAS, with 30 years of experience, was the ideal partner. 

"NAS are strategically positioned to assist Air Malta and together roll out our exciting plans and projects which will radically transform in a positive manner the way we conduct our cargo business,” he said.