Bakkafrost’s ‘salmon air service’ makes first flight

Bakkafrost CEO Regin Jacobsen has hailed the first flight of salmon on its FarCargo Boeing 757 as a new chapter in Faroe Islands trade history.

The aircraft departed from the Faroes with a consignment of premium fresh salmon, landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, for the first time.

Jacobsen said: “The aim is to deliver fresh high-quality salmon both in the USA, Israel and other remote markets a mere day after the fish swims in Faroese fjords.”

FarCargo, the airfreight company set up as part of the Bakkafrost group, will operate between Vágar airport in the Faroe Islands and Newark via Keflavik Airport in Iceland.

The return flight from Newark is via Billund Airport in Denmark, a major cargo hub, before returning to the Faroe Islands.

With a range of 7,000 km (4,350 miles) FarCargo said it can offer customers a wide range of destinations within Europe and even out to the Middle East.

CEO Jacobsen said: “We believe this will significantly strengthen our competitiveness. We will now be able to provide our customers with the freshest product on the market.

“For many years, we have aimed to make progress in the American market, and along with our US processing plant in New Jersey, this initiative will provide us with the opportunity to provide the customers with the best service possible.”

He added: “This new route will ensure prolonged shelf life due to shortened transportation and an unbroken cooling chain”.

The aircraft has more than 200 cubic metres of empty space on the return flight.