newstodate.aero

Apr 09, 2021 (newstodate): Is plans turn into reality, Norway's seafood air logistics will see several significant developments in this year's second quarter.
   At Bodo Airport, Bodøregionens Utviklingsselskap plans to launch all-cargo operations to lift seafood directly to Asia out of northern Norway, schedulingg the first operations to lift off before the end of this year's second quarter.
   Another project has its center at Sweden's Luleaa Kallax Airport, where lead partners behind the project are Norrland Spedition & Transportation and Swedavia.
   Speaking to newstodate in late February, the project confirmed sound progress in negotiations with airlines to provide the uplift capacity of fresh seafood to the Asian and North American markets, with launch of services so far slated for the second quarter 2021.
   For Norway's seafood exporters, the asset of Luleaa Kallax Airport is its location only 8-12 hours trucking time from seafood producing sites in northern Norway.
   Already in operation with the opening flight on December 14, 2020, is Qatar Airways' with a Boeing 777-300ER all-cargo service at Norway's Harstad-Narvik Evenes Airport, later expanding from February 3, 2021, by Virgin Atlantic Cargo offering two weekly rotations between London Heathrow and Evenes Airport with Boeing 787-9 aircraft primarily to serve the Norwegian seafood exporters with onward transfer to the US market.
   But even at Evenes Airport, the situation is changing in Q2/2021 as a runway refurbishing project is to limit capacity from April 22, 2021, forcing Qatar Airways' Boeing 777 aircraft to at least temporarily suspend its services at the airport, leaving Virgin Atlantic Cargo's smaller Boeing 787-9 aircraft alone at Evenes Airport.

   According to sources, yet unconfirmed by the airline, Qatar Airways will move its operations to Bodo Airport as is flights at Evenes close down - but it remains to be seen if this change will be permanent or just a temporary solution.