BBN Airlines Nordic returns freighters, gives up AOC

BBN Airlines Nordic, previously known as Bluebird Nordic, voluntarily surrendered its Icelandic AOC yesterday and has terminated all operations. The airline’s freighters have either been returned or novated, or are in the process of doing so, with just some formalities and technicalities remaining, Chief Executive Audrone Keinyte told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_56868168" align="aligncenter" width="1108"] BBN Airlines Nordic operated 737-800Fs and 737-400Fs. (Courtesy/Nordic Flight Department)[/caption] The decision was driven by the deteriorating situation in the air cargo market over the past year and a half or so, with factors including the drop in demand, recovery of belly capacity, overcapacity due to a surplus of converted freighters, and escalating costs, Keinyte said. Trajectory of growth Iceland-based Bluebird Nordic was acquired by Ireland-headquartered Avia Solutions Group (ASG) in 2020. In 2021, the ACMI specialist carrier said that it intended to lease up to twenty-five 737-800Fs by the end of 2024 as part of a significant expansion plan. The first 737-800BCF (29788, ex-Turkish Airlines) arrived in late 2021 on lease from Lithuania-based AviaAM Leasing, a fellow member of ASG. Keen to enlarge its global footprint, Bluebird Nordic set up BBN Airlines Indonesia in 2022 and sent a 737-800BCFs (29790, ex-AnadoluJet) to the new airline in 2023 . BBN Airlines Indonesia got its AOC in August 2023. All of Bluebird Nordics’s liabilities and responsibilities have been addressed, and all operations for clients are covered, Keinyte said. The company had been “intensively” reducing costs and optimizing its human resources for about a year, but closing the airline was the most appropriate solution to cut further costs, she said. The company has complied with all laws and come to mutual agreements with employees, who have the opportunity to apply to other positions within ASG, Keinyte added. The move only affects the BBN Airlines Nordic AOC in Iceland; the other BBN AOCs it helped establish, most notably BBN Airlines Indonesia, are separate and remain unchanged, Keinyte confirmed. Mixed 737 freighter fleet The Icelandic aircraft registry still lists ten aircraft registered to Bluebird Nordic as of today: three 737-800Fs, four 737-400Fs and three 777-300ERs. [caption id="attachment_56868169" align="aligncenter" width="1225"] Bluebird Nordic stopped flying most of its 737-400 freighters last year. (Courtesy/Bluebird Nordic)[/caption] The three 737-800s (28328 and 32277, ex-SAS, and 32919, ex-Caribbean Airlines) are all AEI -800SF conversions that Bluebird had leased from Aero Capital Solutions, which transferred them to World Star Aviation as part of a novation deal. All three were ferried to Forli (FRL) last month for storage. The four 737-400s are also all AEI conversions. One (24751, ex-Flair Airlines) flew to Hamilton (YHM) on April 26 ahead of return to KF Aerospace , while the other three (25376, ex-Enter Air; 23865, ex-Sky Airlines; and 28887, ex-Alaska Airlines) have been parked since 2022 and 2023. The three 2009-vintage 777-300ERs (37705 and 37707, ex-Emirates, and 36158, ex-Cathay Pacific) were owned by the Russia-affiliate GTLK Europe and Bluebird had intended to operate them as freighters after conversion, but the deal did not come to fruition as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war. Previous aircraft Bluebird Nordic previously had other 737 Classics and NGs. After removing its final 737-300F in 2022, the carrier returned a 737-400SF (24573) to KF and transferred another (26302) to BBN Airlines Indonesia at the end of 2023. Another 737-400SF (24436) joined Africa Charter Airline in early 2024. Bluebird Nordic also had three other 737-800BCFs (29782, 29786, 29788 and 33813); all four joined AirExplore earlier in 2024. The Slovakia-based airline became part of ASG in 2023 and the group appears to be taking advantage of AirExplore’s European Union AOC by assigning it more 737-800 freighters, with the carrier recently telling Cargo Facts that it could expand its freighter fleet to up to eight 737-800Fs in the months ahead. AviaAM Leasing had intended to place at least two more 737-800BCFs on lease with Bluebird Nordic; those two aircraft (29769, ex-AnadoluJet, and 28225, ex-Caribbean Airlines) have been parked in Kaunas (KUN) since mid-2023 after conversion. Another AviaAM 737-800BCF (29771, ex-AnadoluJet) also arrived at KUN in December 2023 from conversion at Gatwick Airport (LGW). A weak market Bluebird Nordic’s departure from the market leaves Air Atlanta Icelandic as the only freighter operator based in Iceland. Some of Bluebird Nordic’s ACMI flights for customers like DHL have been picked up by other ACMI providers, including AirExplore, ASL Airlines, Cargo Air and Swiftair, according to flight-tracking information. Bluebird Nordic’s decision to shut down entirely is more drastic than many other operators’ moves to put growth plans on hold or cut down their freighter fleets because of the weakening airfreight market. Cargo Air told Cargo Facts in March that it had decided to pause its 737 fleet renewal , while Titan Airways said at Cargo Facts EMEA that it would keep its A321P2F fleet stable at four units for now. Meanwhile, in North America, FedEx is retiring its MD-11Fs and parking A300Fs and 757Fs; Amerijet returned six 757-200PCFs ; Cargojet stepped away from plans to enter the 777 freighter segment; and Global Crossing Airlines halted its freighter growth plans to focus on the passenger business. Cargo Facts LATAM 2024, the essential event for stakeholders in Latin America, will take place May 13-15 at the Hilton Panama. Learn more and register today .

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