SmartLynx Airlines and Bluebird Nordic of Avia Solutions are expanding their P2F capacity.

Passenger to Freighter conversions is still in high demand, as seen by these two Avia Solutions Group airlines.

SmartLynx Airlines and Bluebird Nordic, both members of the Avia Solutions Group, announced on Friday that they are increasing cargo capacity. SmartLynx Airlines will receive four new Airbus A321Fs, while Bluebird Nordic has acquired its fourth Boeing 737BCF.

Bring old 737s to new life.

Bluebird Nordic, formerly known as Bluebird freight, is an Icelandic cargo airline in Reykjavik. From its headquarters at Reykjavik-Keflavik International Airport, it conducts scheduled and chartered freight routes across Europe (KEF). Bluebird Nordic (Bluebird) provides wet lease options for aircrew maintenance and insurance (ACMI) and full-service cargo operations.

Bluebird’s market is exporting fish because of its location in Iceland, but it is also permitted to transport medications, perishable foods, dangerous items, animals, and other forms of cargo. It provides nonstop service between Iceland and Billund Airport (BLL) in Denmark and Cologne, Germany. Bluebird also targets key European freight hubs such as Liege Airport in Belgium and East Midlands Airport (EMA) in the United Kingdom.

Bluebird began operations in 1999 with a single Boeing 737-300F freighter flying between Iceland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. According to ch-aviation.com, it has a fleet of 16 aircraft, which may have increased to 17 with the arrival last week of the newest 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). There are also one 737-300F, one 737-400F, six 737-400SF, three 737-800(BCF), one 737-800SF, one 777-200ER, and three 777-300ER aircraft in the fleet.

The newest 737-800BCF is part of a fleet expansion program that began last year in response to rising cargo demand. Bluebird CEO Audrone Keinyte expressed excitement about adding extra 737 capacity to fulfill “skyrocketing demand.” He continued,

“The new planes have already shown to be excellent additions, guaranteeing dependable operations with exceptional range and payload for a plane of this size. We expect four more 737-800s to join our fleet in the coming months, bringing our total to eight.”

SmartLynx wants to purchase 20 A321Fs.

Aero Capital Solutions (ACS) and SmartLynx Airlines announced the commencement of an Airbus A321F freighter conversion program on Friday. The four A321Fs, with MSNs 941, 961, 1185, and 1241, are part of a sales and leaseback arrangement with ACS and will be registered in Malta following conversion. Precision Aircraft Solutions and Elbe Flugezeugwerke will conduct passenger-to-freighter conversions (EFW). SmartLynx wants to maintain its primary focus on passenger operations while increasing cargo volumes from 10% to 40% over the next two to three years. By 2023, it hopes to have 20 A321Fs in its fleet.

CEO Zygimantas Surintas stated that he was skeptical if going into cargo was the right decision for SmartLynx. However, it has proven to be the correct one, mainly owing to the benefits of the A321F.

“In addition to tapping into a market that has developed since the epidemic, the inclusion of freight business helps ACMI operators counter seasonal challenges. The A321 F freighters have helped us save up to 15% on flight operational expenses and up to 20% on fuel usage compared to comparable aircraft in the class.”

DHL will be SmartLynxs’ first cargo customer, operating the A321F, which Surintas claims is the world’s first narrowbody freighter with containerized lower cargo deck capability.

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