Bluebird Nordic undertakes largest known 737-800F growth

Iceland-based Bluebird Nordic will lease twenty-five 737-800Fs in the next three to four years and take its single-digit fleet to over thirty freighters, with three beginning service by the end of 2021. Bluebird Nordic, part of the Cyprus-headquartered Avia Solutions Group, told Cargo Facts that it does not intend to phase out its current single 737-300F and seven 737-400Fs until at least 2025, after all twenty-five 737-800Fs have arrived by the end of 2024. The carrier may even extend the existing leases on the Classics for a couple more years depending on lessor flexibility, it said. [caption id="attachment_416376" align="alignright" width="560"] Bluebird Nordic expects to have three 737-800Fs by the end of this year. (Photo/Avia Solutions Group)[/caption] The first two aircraft will be from fellow Avia Solutions Group affiliate AviaAM Leasing, with delivery in September and October 2021. These will presumably be the 2001-vintage unit 29788 (ex-Turkish Airlines), which AviaAM Leasing recently ferried back to Kaunas (KUN), Lithuania, in July after conversion in Jinan (TNA), and its sister frame (29786), which arrived in Guangzhou (CAN) in June for conversion. Bluebird Nordic told Cargo Facts it expects around 80% of the twenty-five 737-800Fs to be BCFs with Boeing’s STC. The majority of the 737-800s will be purchased by the group and fly in passenger ACMI service with Avion Express, another Avia Solutions Group member, while they await their conversion slots, Bluebird Nordic said. Bluebird Nordic, which added its seventh 737-400F in May 2021, said that the fleet growth is based on factors including e-commerce and the push for newer aircraft and lower CO2 emissions. The carrier already flies its 737s on behalf of major integrators in Europe. As part of its aspirations to become one of the lowest-cost operators in Europe, Bluebird Nordic told Cargo Facts that it plans to apply for a Bulgarian or Romanian air operator certificate and add a large back office at Avia Solutions Group’s AeroCity complex in Vilnius. Bluebird Nordic said it will most likely keep its Icelandic certificate but will execute its expansion from two or three more countries. Bluebird Nordic’s growth will mean hiring around 350 additional pilots in the next three years. This will be through Avia Solutions Group’s crew recruitment and training subsidiary, BAA Training, which has 737NG simulators in several locations, Bluebird Nordic said. With twenty-five 737-800Fs, Bluebird Nordic is currently set to have the largest known fleet of 737NG freighters, overtaking even Amazon and ASL Aviation Holdings. At the same time, SmartLynx, yet another Avia Solutions Group affiliate, recently began its expansion into cargo and plans to have at least ten A321Fs by around 2023. Cargo Facts Symposium, taking place LIVE October 25-27 at the Wynn Las Vegas, is the essential event for stakeholders in the air cargo industry. Learn more and register at www.cargofactssymposium.com .

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