newstodate.aero

May 29, 2020 (newstodate): Today will see the first freighter departing for China from Iceland with a belly-full of seafood.
   DB Schenker Iceland has chartered a converted Boeing 767-300 from Icelandair for a series of three all-cargo operations from Keflavik to Shanghai, with capacity sold to several Icelandic seafood exporters, including Arnarlax, a major Icelandic salmon farming company.
   -So far, this is a one-off series of all-cargo flights, but we would indeed be happy to see the service continuing after this, says Johannes Gislason, Arnarlax Sales Manager.
   -We cannot know, of course, if a freighter service will prove sustainable for both Schenker and Icelandair - but we would certainly welcome this.  
   -The Chinese market is important for Arnarlax, while even with the Free Trade Agreement exporting seafood into China is still a complex and challenging with much bureaucracy to overcome, says Mr Gislason.
   The three all-cargo flights from Keflavik lean on the contract signed in April 2020 between DB Schenker and Icelandair for a series of "at least" 45 all-cargo flights using three of Icelandair's four Boeing 767-300 passenger aircraft converted to all-cargo flights from Shanghai to Munich and to Chicago.
   Due to issues of traffic rights, the chartered Icelandair aircraft must return from the USA and Europe to China via Keflavik, opening up for loading Icelandic seafood from Iceland to destinations in China.