Bluebird Nordic, formerly Bluebird Cargo, was[2] a cargo airline based in Reykjavík, Iceland, operating scheduled and chartered cargo services to and from Iceland and within Europe out of its base at Keflavík International Airport, with a special focus on Liège Airport & East Midlands Airport as freight hubs.[3]
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1999 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | March 2001 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 30 April 2024[2] | ||||||
| Hubs | Keflavík International Airport[3] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 14 | ||||||
| Destinations | 3 (scheduled)[4] | ||||||
| Parent company | Avia Solutions Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Reykjavík, Iceland | ||||||
| Key people | Audrone Keinyte, CEO | ||||||
| Website | bluebird.is | ||||||
History edit
Bluebird Cargo was established in 1999 and started operations in March 2001. Operations began with daily freighter services between Iceland, the United Kingdom and Germany with a single Boeing 737-300F. It was wholly owned by Icelandair Group[5] until 2010 and had 63 employees as of 2007.[citation needed]
In 2014, the airline was bought by Haru Holding and Steinn Logi Björnsson became CEO. In 2017, the company changed their name from Bluebird Cargo to Bluebird Nordic[3] In January 2020, Avia Solutions Group acquired 100% of Bluebird Nordic.[6]
In August 2021, Bluebird Nordic announced plans to increase its Boeing 737-800 fleet to 25 units by 2024.[7] On 4 January 2022, Bluebird Nordic acquired a Boeing 777-300ER which was formerly operated by Emirates.[8] On 25 January 2022, Bluebird Nordic acquired another 777-300ER which was formerly operated by Cathay Pacific. In April 2022, Bluebird Nordic appointed Audrone Keinyte as new CEO.[9]
Bluebird Nordic ceased operations on 30 April 2024 and returned all aircraft to their lessors.[2]
Destinations edit
As of February 2021[update], Bluebird Nordic operated freight services to the following scheduled destinations in addition to ad-hoc and charter services:[4]
Fleet edit
_(49995358743).jpg)
Prior to its closure, the Bluebird Nordic fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[10]
| Aircraft | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300F | 1
|
|
| Boeing 737-400F | 3
|
|
| Boeing 737-800BCF | 4
|
|
| Boeing 777-200ER | 1
|
|
| Boeing 777-300ER | 3
|
|
| Total | 12 |
References edit
- ^ Airline Codes
- ^ a b c aerotelegraph.com - "Bluebird Nordic ceases operations" (German) 4 May 2024
- ^ a b c "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 87.
- ^ a b bluebird.is - Air Freight retrieved 8 February 2021
- ^ "Icelandic Conversion", Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 8, 2007.
- ^ https://www.aircargonews.net/airlines/freighter-operator/avia-solutions-to-buy-freighter-operator-bluebird-nordic/ Avia Solutions to buy freighter operator Bluebird Nordic
- ^ "BlueBird Nordic adding 25 B737 freighters to its fleet". Aviation Nepal. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
- ^ "TF-BBB Bluebird Cargo Boeing 777-300ER". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "Bluebird Nordic appointed Audrone Keinyte as new CEO". aviasg.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
- ^ planespotters.net - Bluebird Cargo Fleet Details and History retrieved 8 February 2021
External links edit
Media related to Bluebird Cargo at Wikimedia Commons
