West Atlantic (Sweden)

Airline overview

West Atlantic is a Swedish-registered specialist cargo airline group. The Swedish entity, West Air Sweden AB, flies as West Atlantic Sweden with ICAO three-letter code SWN and radio call sign AIR SWEDEN, and IATA two-letter code T2 (some historical directories and older industry material list PT). The group holds air operator certificates in Sweden and the UK; the Swedish entity's main operating base is Malmö Sturup Airport and the group is headquartered in Gothenburg. The official website is westatlantic.eu.

The group traces its history to a small air cargo operation founded in 1955 and developed through Abal Air and West Air Sweden. In 2011 Sweden's West Air Europe merged with the UK's Atlantic Airlines to form West Atlantic AB, one of Europe's larger independent cargo airline groups. Public material shows annual revenue above EUR 100 million, about 450 employees and a fleet of more than 50 aircraft including the UK entity, covering intra-European scheduled cargo, night mail services, capacity supply to express networks and ad hoc freighter charters.

On the customer side, the group has long supplied whole-aircraft capacity and route services to Royal Mail, Nordic postal operators and global express and forwarding customers such as FedEx, DHL and UPS, and also operates the aircraft of the Faroese postal cargo brand FarCargo. A hallmark of its operation is that mail trailers are pushed straight from the truck into the aircraft hold, creating a combined ground and air mail flow that has long been used in Nordic postal networks.

For Chinese shippers, the value sits in last-mile distribution and regional transfer within Europe and the Nordics, since the network is concentrated inside Europe. Cargo from China normally flies trunk services from a Chinese gateway to European hubs such as Amsterdam, Liège, Paris, Frankfurt and London, then connects through this network to secondary and tertiary points in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, completing the chain from China into the European interior.

China contact

No publicly listed own office in China. The group has not established a publicly listed sales office or cargo department in China; Chinese shippers needing its European and Nordic capacity should contact its local Chinese agents or work through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) at https://goodhope86.com.

Published group headquarters contacts: Prästgårdsgatan 1, SE-412 71 Göteborg, Sweden (group material also lists Box 5433, SE-402 29 Göteborg and Arenagatan 20, SE-215 33 Malmö); telephone +46 10 452 95 00; email info@westatlantic.eu; official website westatlantic.eu. Addresses and numbers may change with office moves; the latest information is on the airline's official channels.

Chinese shippers checking rates, capacity and flights can ask Goodhope Freight to request a quote from the group's sales department or its European station ground agents. Because capacity is sold mainly under customer contracts and charter agreements, public channels generally offer no booking entry point for end customers, and going through a forwarder is more efficient.

Aircraft types and fleet

The group fleet is mainly converted freighters; the Swedish entity currently operates Boeing 737-800BCF and Boeing 757-200 converted freighters. Public material shows 2 to 3 freighters on the Swedish register around 2025, all based at Malmö Sturup, while the group as a whole including the UK entity operates more than 50 aircraft. Numbers and registration status change with capacity plans and fleet renewal and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.

The Boeing 737-800BCF is a narrowbody converted freighter with a large main deck cargo door, suited to bulk and palletized loading, used mainly on intra-European scheduled cargo and express night flights, with range and payload suited to short and medium sectors at high frequency. The Boeing 757-200 converted freighter offers greater payload and main deck volume, suited to longer sectors and larger lots and used on cross-regional destinations and for seasonal capacity. Historically the group operated a large fleet of British Aerospace ATP freighters, retired in February 2023 as the last European operator of the type; the Bombardier CRJ-200PF regional freighter was retired in 2023, and Hawker Siddeley HS 748, ATR 72, BAe 146 and Fokker F27 types also served earlier.

In handling terms the fleet is made up of small and medium freighters suited to high-frequency short-sector flying inside Europe, carrying mail, express parcels, e-commerce parcels, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and general industrial goods that arrive at a European hub on trunk services from China. Overweight or oversize pieces need cargo door dimensions, floor load and ground equipment confirmed in advance, subject to carrier confirmation on the day.

Airport services and schedules in China

Airport services in China

No public information. The group does not operate scheduled cargo flights from any airport in China and has no own ground handling or direct sales counter at Chinese gateways; its published network is concentrated in Europe. Cargo originating in China can connect to its European and Nordic network only after arriving at a European hub, and this is the standard way Chinese cargo uses the group's capacity.

On the China side, the main departure points are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Zhengzhou and Hangzhou. Cargo clears export formalities and security screening at the Chinese gateway, flies a trunk service to a European hub, is re-documented, security-screened and reloaded by the ground agent there, and then enters the European regional network. One air waybill covers the whole journey, with no second export declaration inside China.

European network and schedules

The group's schedules run mainly under customer contracts and no complete timetable is published for the public. Public flight tracking shows examples including return cargo flights between Malmö and Amsterdam, Brussels and London Stansted; Paris Charles de Gaulle and Oslo Gardermoen are listed main bases, and scheduled cargo flights are recorded between Vágar in the Faroe Islands and Brussels and Dublin. Published flight plan data shows a weekly Boeing 757-200 freighter service from Vágar via Liège to Tel Aviv planned from November 2026.

Times are local. Actual schedules vary with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.

On connections, cargo arriving at a European hub goes through international transit formalities by the ground agent, is re-palletized or re-packed to the loading requirements of the regional sector and connects to the destination. Connection time depends on hub flight density and customs working hours and is subject to the day's connections; if schedules or capacity change, the forwarder notifies the shipper in advance and adjusts the plan.

Cargo connections from China to the Nordics and Europe

From China, cargo makes one transfer at a European hub such as Amsterdam, Liège, Paris, Frankfurt or London and connects to the West Atlantic European regional network, reaching major cargo points in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland as well as markets in the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland. For secondary Nordic points and island markets, the group's small and medium freighters reach sectors that large freighters cannot serve.

Major Chinese gateways such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Zhengzhou all have dense mainline services to these European hubs, so one air waybill can cover the whole journey. Cargo is handled under international transit procedures at the hub and does not need to be re-declared in China; the rate is built up leg by leg and calculated by the freight forwarder.

On commodity types, the network suits electronics components, auto parts, machinery parts, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, apparel and textiles, e-commerce parcels and mail. Charging follows IATA rules on the greater of gross weight and volumetric weight, with volumetric weight calculated as length times width times height divided by 6000; shippers of low-density cargo should optimize packing in advance to control chargeable weight. Pieces that are heavy or oversize need capacity and ground equipment confirmed in advance.

For small lots or scattered destinations, consolidation can be used, with the forwarder grouping cargo at the European hub and connecting it to regional flights. For single large lots or project cargo with fixed deadlines, pallet positions, part-charter or whole-aircraft capacity can be requested. Transit time from China to the Nordics depends on gateway, hub and season, and the forwarder sets out the expected transit and capacity plan at quotation.

Freight advantages from China

For shippers in China, the advantages of using the group's capacity are as follows.

First, strong last-mile coverage in Europe. The fleet is mainly small and medium freighters, reaching secondary Nordic points and island markets that large widebody freighters cannot serve, so cargo that reaches a European hub on a trunk service gains wide onward reach.

Second, mature night operations and mail handling. The group has long flown postal night services, with stable procedures for night departures and arrivals, rapid loading and next-day delivery, suited to time-sensitive express, e-commerce parcels and samples.

Third, a combined ground and air mail and trailer operation. Mail trailers can be pushed straight from the truck into the aircraft hold, cutting intermediate handling and reducing the risk of damage or delay on the ground.

Fourth, flexible charter and whole-aircraft capacity. Beyond the scheduled network, the group takes ad hoc charters and whole-aircraft solutions, so project cargo, exhibition materials, seasonal replenishment and urgent spares from China can be quoted as a charter or a pallet block.

Fifth, cross-border scheduling through a dual AOC structure. The group holds air operator certificates in both Sweden and the UK, allowing capacity to be moved around Europe to handle late orders and destination changes.

Overall, the group suits Chinese shippers of industrial goods and parts into secondary Nordic and Western European points, e-commerce and express customers needing next-day delivery within Europe, and manufacturers and contractors needing whole-aircraft charters or project transport. Going through a forwarder secures rates, capacity, transit time and ground handling together.

For destinations outside the direct network, European truck services can complete last-mile delivery in an air-road combination; truck networks between the Nordics and Western Europe are mature and balance transit time against cost, which suits larger lots with looser deadlines.

Booking path from China

The booking process for Chinese shippers using the group's capacity is as follows.

First, provide the forwarder with cargo details: commodity, piece count, gross weight, volume, origin gateway and destination airport. Second, the forwarder assesses routing and capacity, fixes the transfer hub among Amsterdam, Liège, Paris or London, and confirms whether the destination is inside the network. Third, booking is completed through the group's sales department or its European station ground agents and the air waybill is issued. Fourth, cargo departs the Chinese gateway, transits the European hub and connects to the regional flight. Fifth, customs clearance and collection take place at the destination airport, or a truck service completes delivery.

A freight forwarder manages the air waybill, tracking and exception handling throughout. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited can handle all of these steps and provides a single point of contact from quotation and booking through to delivery.

Documents to prepare before booking include the commercial invoice, packing list, declaration data and the import documents the destination requires; special cargo also needs the relevant certificates and permits. The rate normally covers base freight, fuel surcharge and screening fee, with transit handling charged separately for cargo routed through a hub and road haulage charged separately for final truck delivery; the forwarder lists all charges at quotation stage. Once the booking is confirmed the forwarder issues the air waybill and passes on the booking details, so the shipper can track the whole journey with the waybill number.

Because its capacity is sold mainly against customer contracts, there is no public booking channel for end customers, and Chinese shippers contacting the airline directly usually get no answer on capacity or rates. Enquiring through a licensed freight forwarder gives several priced options at once and avoids the time lost approaching each party separately.

Specialist freight value-added services

The group's cargo business centers on whole-aircraft solutions, bundling aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance so Chinese shippers can tailor capacity by European route, time window and aircraft type. The intra-European scheduled cargo and night mail networks handle regional distribution after trunk arrival from China, and ad hoc freighter charters cover temporary and peak requirements for Chinese project cargo.

On commodity types, mail, express parcels, e-commerce parcels, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, industrial components and general industrial goods are common, entering the regional network after trunk arrival at a European hub. Temperature-controlled cargo, live animals, valuables and dangerous goods need acceptance conditions, packing and documentation confirmed with the carrier before booking, and some categories may be restricted, subject to carrier confirmation on the day.

On ground handling, the registered bases and operating stations support night operations and rapid loading, and can provide palletizing, container packing, storage and short-haul transfer for Chinese exports. For large or heavy pieces, cargo door dimensions, floor load and handling equipment must be confirmed in advance so cargo is not refused on arrival.

On multimodal options, cargo from China that is not urgent or that goes beyond the European hub can fly to the hub and continue by truck, balancing transit time and cost; ocean to a European base port plus inland transport is the usual choice for bulk cargo. Goodhope Freight can quote air and sea-air options side by side against the cargo parameters to balance transit time and cost.

On service commitments, the freight forwarder updates the shipper at four points: booking, handover, transit and arrival. If a flight is rescheduled or capacity changes, an alternative is offered at once. Rates and transit times are stated in full at quotation, and no charge is added beyond surcharges published by the carrier, so costs stay transparent throughout.

Sources: content is compiled from the airline's official website, public industry material and public flight schedule data. Office addresses, telephone numbers and fleet composition may change with operations; actual information is subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.

Common freight questions