DHL to inaugurate domestic Norwegian connection

Avinor, the national airport operator in Norway, has confirmed that DHL is to launch a new domestic freighter service linking Oslo Airport with Lakselv Airport Banak, a gateway in the far north of the country.
The Airbus 300 freighter link will offer a cargo capacity of approximately 40 tons. Depending on volumes and on demand, the route will be flown anything from once to several times a week, Avinor said.
The airport authority confirmed to Air Cargo News that it hopes the new service will launch at the end of March or beginning of April.
The new A300 connection will, Avinor observed, bring the region of Finnmark (in which Lakselv Airport Banak is located) and northern Norway in general “one step closer” to Asian export markets.
“This gives Lakselv and Finnmark a unique opportunity to reach key export markets for king crab and salmon in Asia,” observed Martin Langaas, Avinor’s director cargo.
“The size of the aircraft enables DHL to get started quickly, without a need for investments with regards to airport infrastructure.
“The capacity also ensures balanced, reasonable start-up risks, enabling quick increases in capacity and frequency if local businesses start utilising the service,” Langaas noted.
Trond Ørjan Olsen, head of airfreight at DHL Global Forwarding, added: “The new cargo route is established to connect with the large cargo crafts and scheduled flights flying from Oslo Airport to Asia and North America.
“Using this route, DHL will give seafood exporters in Finnmark access to a large and efficient network, reaching global markets. This will provide a significant competitive edge,” Olsen declared.
Norway’s minister of transport and communications, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, remarked: “The government is looking to facilitate for local businesses, and fresh Finnmark seafood is a highly attractive export commodity.
“We have put down significant work in coming up with a satisfactory and compliant solution for shipping fresh king crab and salmon from the airport in Lakselv into Asia.
“With the launch comes the opportunity to reach Asian markets quickly,” Solvik-Olsen concluded.
Avinor is responsible for Norway’s 45 state-owned airports as well as air navigation services for civilian and military aviation in the country.
Oslo will be the subject of an airport profile in the March edition of Freighters World