West Air banks seed run

WEST AIR will, on behalf of DHL, perform the first in a series of historically important transports of seeds to Longyearbyen, thereby starting to fill the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in due time before its official opening on 28 February, this year.

The first two West Air flights from Tromsö to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, performed by West Air’s fast CRJ-200 Cargo Jetliner, will carry approximately five tonnes each, in all about 600 boxes with seed specimens.

Later, another 100 tonnes are to be shipped during this first phase. The specimens have come from various national seed reserves all over the world, and were first gathered at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, before being sent to Tromsö.

“We are certainly proud of being chosen for this important task,” said Hans Nilsson, West Air’s vice-president sales & marketing.

“Having delivered mail and utilities to Svalbard on a regular basis since 2006, we certainly have got a unique experience in performing regular cargo operations under prevailing harsh conditions well above the Artic circle, a knowledge that is not only suitable but necessary in an important project of this kind.”