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Aug 04, 2011 (newstodate): Sweden's Stockholm Arlanda Airport's new perishables handling facility, APH Logistics is seeing brisk business on the import side, but export-wise the development is still in the air.
-Besides seafood the Nordic region has little to offer in exports of perishables, with one notable exception: the Norwegian salmon, says Einar Longva, APH Logistics managing director.
-Our focus is set on the salmon production in Northern Norway that is today sold only in the European markets due to overly long trucking times to Oslo.
-It takes two days of trucking for the northern salmon exports to reach Oslo for onward transportation by sea or air to markets. In comparison only 20 hours are required for trucks to take salmon from producers in Northern Norway to reach Stockholm Arlana Airport, allowing for immediate onward flights to a range of European and intercontinental destinations thanks to the route network at the airport.
-Efforts have repeatedly been made to introduce Sweden's Luleaa Kallax Airport as an exit point for salmon produced in Northern Norway, but so far the projects have proved short-lived.
-The crucial difference between the Luleaa and the Stockholm alternative offerings is that with a weekly freighter from Luleaa, exporters must consolidate, say, 50 tonnes of salmon and have commitments in their markets for large quantities of weekly deliveries. While with Stockholm as the exit point, Norwegian exporters of salmon can send any size or shipments on a daily basis for distribution into practically any market in the world, near of far.
-This is a main selling point, and while results have still not shown, we will certainly continue to spread the message and we are in talks with potential partners, says Mr Longva.
As for imports through APH Logistics, now is the peak season for imports of mango fruits from India and Pakistan, primarily flown into Stockholm by Qatar Airways' daily Airbus A330-300 service.
-Besides seafood the Nordic region has little to offer in exports of perishables, with one notable exception: the Norwegian salmon, says Einar Longva, APH Logistics managing director.
-Our focus is set on the salmon production in Northern Norway that is today sold only in the European markets due to overly long trucking times to Oslo.
-It takes two days of trucking for the northern salmon exports to reach Oslo for onward transportation by sea or air to markets. In comparison only 20 hours are required for trucks to take salmon from producers in Northern Norway to reach Stockholm Arlana Airport, allowing for immediate onward flights to a range of European and intercontinental destinations thanks to the route network at the airport.
-Efforts have repeatedly been made to introduce Sweden's Luleaa Kallax Airport as an exit point for salmon produced in Northern Norway, but so far the projects have proved short-lived.
-The crucial difference between the Luleaa and the Stockholm alternative offerings is that with a weekly freighter from Luleaa, exporters must consolidate, say, 50 tonnes of salmon and have commitments in their markets for large quantities of weekly deliveries. While with Stockholm as the exit point, Norwegian exporters of salmon can send any size or shipments on a daily basis for distribution into practically any market in the world, near of far.
-This is a main selling point, and while results have still not shown, we will certainly continue to spread the message and we are in talks with potential partners, says Mr Longva.
As for imports through APH Logistics, now is the peak season for imports of mango fruits from India and Pakistan, primarily flown into Stockholm by Qatar Airways' daily Airbus A330-300 service.