The first official flight will depart on Wednesday 3rd February, and the airline is set to offer twice weekly flights on its Boeing 787-9 aircraft offering over 100 tonnes of capacity each week, primarily serving the Norwegian seafood and fish industry. 

This new service will offer fast, efficient connections via London Heathrow onto Virgin Atlantic’s extensive global network, with seafood set to travel onwards to various US destinations and other gateways on Virgin’s network. For exports to the US, the service will allow cargo to reach its destination up to 72 hours faster than current solutions through Oslo. The route expects to carry vast quantities of fresh salmon, as well as cod and crabs. 

Flying a wide body aircraft into Harstad/Narvik airport at Evenes posed challenges for the Virgin Atlantic team which they overcame to ensure the route was operationally viable. Working closely with Kuehne+Nagel counterparts, the teams took part in online training and also operated a test flight Wednesday 27th January as part of the launch preparations. 

Key challenges for Virgin Atlantic’s team include limited hours of daylight per day, cold and windy weather with winter temperatures reaching highs of just minus 2 Celsius as well as de-icing requirements. All pilots took part in special training for the unique approaches and departures they will experience alongside detailed briefings and airfield assessments that they will conduct at the airport. 

Virgin Atlantic Cargo continues to innovate and expand its destination offering with the new service to northern Norway its 11 th new cargo destination in twelve months. 

Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said: “Virgin Atlantic Cargo continues to expand at pace, and this exciting new launch is testament to the innovative spirit of our business. Norway is our 11 th new cargo destination in twelve months, and we’re now able to offer customers a fast, efficient cargo service via London Heathrow onto the rest of our network. ” 

“We look forward to working alongside Avinor, Perishable Centre North, Widerøe Ground Handling and especially Kuehne+Nagel as we provide this seamless service for customers.” 

Dennis Verkooy, Global Head Perishables & Carrier Management Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, said: “What sounded impossible has quickly developed into an innovative solution. Together with our partner, Virgin Atlantic Cargo, we are now able to provide our customers in Northern Norway a service that is not only reliable and secure, but also gives them the fastest possible access to their markets. 

“The new route will ensure that temperature-sensitive products will arrive on time and in perfect condition with maximum freshness to consumers.