FarCargo airplane
Bakkafrost
FarCargo, part of Bakkafrost Group, bought the aircraft that was acquired from the USA earlier in 2023 and according to a press release, it arrived in Copenhagen, to be transferred to the European flight register.
FarCargo will offer cargo to European and Faroese customers. "The Faroe Islands are located remotely in the North Atlantic, and with a large export of fresh seafood, market access and efficient logistics are crucial to maintaining the competitive advantage of and the ability to deliver the best quality to the customers," the company said.
Bakkafrost confirmed the aircraft is a Boeing 757-200 from 2001 and has been operated by American Airlines as a passenger flight since its beginning. The aircraft has been repurposed for cargo operations and can hold up to 35tons or 230cubic meter of cargo.
The aircraft is equipped with energy efficient winglets and RNP 0.13 technology, making it well suitable for flight operations to and from the Faroe Islands. The aircraft’s cargo hull has been modified to hold refrigerated cargo.
The aircraft needs now to transfer the registration from FAA to EASA. FarCargo has made an agreement with the Swedish airline West Atlantic, to operate the aircraft under its AOC, on behalf of FarCargo, until FarCargo is able to obtain an AOC.
First, the initial flight operation will be in Europe. This will allow the flight crews and technical personnel to get comfortable with the aircraft and to obtain all necessary certificates and permits.
Afterwards, the flight will be between FAE in the Faroe Islands, KEF in Iceland, EWR in New Jersey, US and BLL in Denmark. The company stated that the route will gradually expand to multiple departures every week.
In more detail, FarCargo agreement will Nordic GSA looks to offer out the cargo space to the freight forwarders from Newark to Billund, and to the Faroe Islands. Customers can therefore book cargo space through their local freight forwarder, who deals with Nordic GSA.
Bakkafrost said this new air cargo operation will open up for new possibilities for the Faroese market for perishables and other express shipments. The opportunities for imports from US and Europe improve significantly.
FarCargo will use a share of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) in its operation and will participate in developing the SAF fuel, to mitigate the environmental impacts from the aviation industry. The goal is to increase the share if SAF in the fuel, as much as the technology and market conditions allow for.
FarCargo currently has a crew of 8 members to operate the aircraft, and all have been certified to operate the 757. The company will hire additional crew members as the operation ramps up.
