MILAN: December 14, 2016. An Etihad B777 freighter has carried 30 competition horses from the MXP Equine Handling Centre at Cargo City Malpensa airport, to Doha.

Managed by the Alha Group, the company says it was the largest single horse shipment since the reopening of its Centre that is equipped with veterinary support, mandatory sanitization, and  direct access to the airport apron.

"This reopening is for Alha a moment of pride, both at national and international level," commented Alessandro Cappella, Alha Group general manager.

[The] "MXP Equine Handling Centre represents a completion for the services we already provide in Milan and must be considered as an added booster for the visibility of our terminal's efficiency and reliability," he added.

Alha also operates 130 trucks with advanced security including live monitoring, geo-localization and geo-fencing systems, and handles more than 350,000 tonnes of air cargo a year - 65 percent of the Malpensa's throughput.

Last month Alha had 35 of its vehicles certified by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA). The company says it is the only EMEA region air cargo handler holding three TAPA Certifications: TAPA Air Cargo Security Standards (TACSS), Facility Security Requirement (FSR), and Transport Security Requirement (TSR).