Bojo Run gets underway (09/11/2000)

From 22.00 Central European Time today, over one and a half million bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau will take to the skies, courtesy of British Airways World Cargo.

For the third consecutive year, British Airways World Cargo will be the largest carrier of the world famous wine, distributing nearly 1,700 tonnes to a host of world-wide destinations including San Francisco, Miami, Toronto, Rio de Janiero and Dubai. Meanwhile, Japanese consumers top the list of 'Beaujolais Nouveau' drinkers, with 550 tonnes winging its way to Tokyo.

Since 1954, Beaujolais Nouveau has been subject to European regulations which only allow shipments to leave the European Union at 22.00 CET on the second Thursday of November. This gives just six days for the bottles to be distributed throughout the world in time for "Beaujolais Nouveau Day" on the third Thursday of each November.

A competition, now dubbed 'The Bojo Run', has taken shape, with wine producers, wine sellers, freight forwarders and airlines working around the clock to meet the challenge.

British Airways World Cargo plays a key part and has developed a finely tuned operation to get the wine out on time. Project teams from across the airline have joined forces to plan and execute the race, which includes leasing in three freighters to help complete the task on time.

Flight schedules and time differences will allow countries like Japan and Australia to be the first in the world to taste the wine.

Notes to editors:

British Airways World Cargo will consign 1,510,000 bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau to overseas destinations. Key markets include:
600 tonnes to East Coast of USA
550 tonnes to Japan
213 tonnes to Florida
60 tonnes to USA West Coast