Air Norway
Encyclopedia
Air Norway AS is a virtual
, regional airline
based at Ørland Airport in the town of Brekstad
, the administrative centre of the municipality
of Ørland
, in Sør-Trøndelag
county, Norway
. It operates seven round trips a week from Ørland to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
, and a single, weekly round trip from Oslo to Aalborg Airport
, Denmark, using a wet lease
d Fairchild Metro
aircraft from North Flying
. The airline was established in 2003. Following the bankruptcy of Coast Air
in January 2008, the airline stepped in and was serving Fagernes Airport, Leirin
with two daily flights to Oslo
, and one daily flight to Trondheim
, but these were terminated in 2009.
The airline is owned 40% by Nordic Air, 40% by the Municipality of Ørland and 20% by North Flying. All operations are flown by North Flying, who operate a 19-seat Fairchild Metro 23
in Air Norway livery. The municipality subsidizes the route with NOK 1 million per year. The company has a managing director in a 20% position, plus one person who coordinates booking on an hourly basis. In 2008, the airline had a revenue of NOK 16 million and made NOK 800,000 in profit. Ørland Airport is the civilian section of the military Ørland Main Air Station
. Traditionally, the main customer group for Air Norway has been military personnel.
, to two main air stations of the Norwegian Air Force, but these plans were abandoned. Just after the route commenced, the owner became seriously ill, and marketing and sales efforts were neglected, causing a less-than-predicted cabin load. Hagsveen died on 26 December, and his heirs encouraged local businesses to purchase shares in the company. Air Norway commenced weekly flights from Oslo to Aalborg Airport in Denmark from 31 January 2004. In February 2004, the company received a loan for NOK 650,000 from the municipality to operate pay off other debt. At the same time, the airline was sold to Sven Rosenvinge.
By 2005, the airline was still losing money. On 21 February, the Municipality of Ørland bought shares for NOK 1 million, while North Flying bought the remaining half of the company. Mayor Hallgeir Grøntvedt (Center Party
) stated that while it was a risky investment for a municipality with limited budget, the airline was of great strategic importance for Ørland and Fosen. When the European Union
introduced new security rules for airports from 1 January 2005, Ørland Airport was exempt, because of the small size of the aircraft. By April, the airport had received notice that 100% security control would still have to be introduced, costing the municipality per year. At the same time, Air Norway was still losing money, and applied to the municipality to not be charged landing fees at the airport. When this was granted, it saved the company NOK 540,000 per year. In July, Air Norway transported its 10,000th passenger and signed a new contract with the Air Force, which was responsible for more than half the ridership. In November, the administration of the airline was moved from Drammen
to Ørland and Fosen Næringshage. Snorre Hvitsand was then hired as managing director.
In 2006, the company experienced a 40% passenger growth, and from 6 September, Air Norway also introduced services on Wednesday. The same year, the municipality started a NOK 1.8 million upgrade to the airport. When it opened on 3 September 2007, it became an international airport
and allowed transit for passengers to Aalborg, plus increased security and a general renovation of the terminal building from 1978.
Following the bankruptcy of Coast Air
in January 2008, Air Norway and North Flying were awarded an interim contract to operate the route from Fagernes to Oslo, with subsidies from the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
. At the same time, the airline started a route from Fagernes to Trondheim Airport, Værnes
. In March, they won the public service obligation
(PSO) contract, granting them the route until 31 March 2009. During the first half of 2008, ridership at Fagernes Airport was reduced by 27.3%, compared with the first half of the previous year. From 1 April 2009, the Fagernes PSO contract was lost to DOT LT, and Air Norway terminated those routes.
In 2009, Air Norway lost 1,300 passengers after the Norwegian Air Force decided to not permit their employees to travel from Ørland, but instead have to take cheaper flights from Trondheim, located about a two hour drive away. The reduction in ridership, along with a strengthening of the Danish krone
in relation to the Norwegian, caused Air Norway to lose NOK 100,000 by August 2009. The mayor of Ørland stated at that he was working to make the route receive state grants as a PSO. In February 2010, the municipality granted NOK 62,500 for Air Norway to run a television commercial during the semi-final of Melodi Grand Prix
.
Virtual Airline (economics)
In economics, a virtual airline is an airline that has outsourced as many possible operational and business functions as it can, but still maintains effective control of its core business. Such an airline focuses on operating a network of air services, and outsourcing non-core activities to other...
, regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
based at Ørland Airport in the town of Brekstad
Brekstad
Brekstad is the administrative centre of the municipality of Ørland in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Trondheimsfjord at the entrance to the Stjørnfjord. It is about south of Uthaug and about west of Austrått and Ottersbo....
, the administrative centre of the municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
of Ørland
Ørland
Ørland is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brekstad. Other villages include Uthaug, Opphaug, and Ottersbo...
, in Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It operates seven round trips a week from Ørland to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
, and a single, weekly round trip from Oslo to Aalborg Airport
Aalborg Airport
Aalborg Airport is a dual-use airport located in Nørresundby, Denmark, which is northwest of Aalborg. Aalborg Airport is the third largest airport in Denmark with approximately 1.4 million travellers per year.-Duty Free Shopping:...
, Denmark, using a wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d Fairchild Metro
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
aircraft from North Flying
North Flying
North Flying A/S is a Danish airline based at Ålborg and Copenhagen airports. North Flying main business is within charter operations, such as air taxi, air ambulance, and freight, and also training-, photo-, and banner flights...
. The airline was established in 2003. Following the bankruptcy of Coast Air
Coast Air
Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth-largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation...
in January 2008, the airline stepped in and was serving Fagernes Airport, Leirin
Fagernes Airport, Leirin
Fagernes Airport, Leirin serves Fagernes and the surrounding valleys of Valdres, Hallingdal and Gudbrandsdal in Southern Norway, from Oslo. Opened in 1987, it is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor. The airport is above sea level, and has a runway...
with two daily flights to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, and one daily flight to Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, but these were terminated in 2009.
Operations
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
in Air Norway livery. The municipality subsidizes the route with NOK 1 million per year. The company has a managing director in a 20% position, plus one person who coordinates booking on an hourly basis. In 2008, the airline had a revenue of NOK 16 million and made NOK 800,000 in profit. Ørland Airport is the civilian section of the military Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord in the municipality of Ørland, in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is an important air base not only for Norway, but also for NATO...
. Traditionally, the main customer group for Air Norway has been military personnel.
Destinations
The airline operates seven weekly round trips from Ørland to Oslo, with weekday flights leaving Ørland at 7:40 and returning form Oslo at 18:00. No flights are made on Saturdays, but there are two round trips to Oslo on Friday, and to Ørland on Sunday. A single, weekly round trip is made to Aalborg from Oslo, leaving on Friday evening and returning Sunday afternoon.| City | Country | IATA | ICAO | Airport | Begin | End | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aalborg Aalborg -Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen.... |
 Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
AAL | EKYT | Aalborg Airport Aalborg Airport Aalborg Airport is a dual-use airport located in Nørresundby, Denmark, which is northwest of Aalborg. Aalborg Airport is the third largest airport in Denmark with approximately 1.4 million travellers per year.-Duty Free Shopping:... |
2004 | present | |
| Fagernes Fagernes is the largest settlement in the valley of Valdres, Norway, with a population of 1,801. Fagernes is the administrative centre of the municipality of Nord-Aurdal.See video from the Fagernes Town : *... |
 Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
VDB | ENFG | Fagernes Airport, Leirin Fagernes Airport, Leirin Fagernes Airport, Leirin serves Fagernes and the surrounding valleys of Valdres, Hallingdal and Gudbrandsdal in Southern Norway, from Oslo. Opened in 1987, it is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor. The airport is above sea level, and has a runway... |
2008 | 2009 | |
| Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
OSL | ENGM | Oslo Airport, Gardermoen Oslo Airport, Gardermoen Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is... |
2002 | present | |
| Trondheim Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
TRD | ENVA | Trondheim Airport, Værnes Trondheim Airport, Værnes Trondheim Airport, Værnes is an international airport located in Stjørdal, east of Trondheim, Norway. Operated by the state-owned Avinor, it shares facilities with Værnes Air Station of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. In 2010, the airport had 3,521,734 passengers and 55,747 air movements,... |
2008 | 2009 | |
| Ørland Ørland Ørland is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brekstad. Other villages include Uthaug, Opphaug, and Ottersbo... |
Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
OLA | ENOL | Ørland Airport | 2003 | present |
History
Air Norway was founded in 2003 Gunnar Hagsveen. Scheduled services from Ørland to Oslo commenced on 23 May 2003. The company had originally planned to also operate aircraft between Ørland and Bodø AirportBodø Airport
Bodø Airport is civil airport in Bodø, Norway. Located just south of the city centre, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula Bodø lies on, it shares facilities with the military air force base Bodø Main Air Station. The airport has a single concrete, runway which runs in a roughly east-west...
, to two main air stations of the Norwegian Air Force, but these plans were abandoned. Just after the route commenced, the owner became seriously ill, and marketing and sales efforts were neglected, causing a less-than-predicted cabin load. Hagsveen died on 26 December, and his heirs encouraged local businesses to purchase shares in the company. Air Norway commenced weekly flights from Oslo to Aalborg Airport in Denmark from 31 January 2004. In February 2004, the company received a loan for NOK 650,000 from the municipality to operate pay off other debt. At the same time, the airline was sold to Sven Rosenvinge.
By 2005, the airline was still losing money. On 21 February, the Municipality of Ørland bought shares for NOK 1 million, while North Flying bought the remaining half of the company. Mayor Hallgeir Grøntvedt (Center Party
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
) stated that while it was a risky investment for a municipality with limited budget, the airline was of great strategic importance for Ørland and Fosen. When the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
introduced new security rules for airports from 1 January 2005, Ørland Airport was exempt, because of the small size of the aircraft. By April, the airport had received notice that 100% security control would still have to be introduced, costing the municipality per year. At the same time, Air Norway was still losing money, and applied to the municipality to not be charged landing fees at the airport. When this was granted, it saved the company NOK 540,000 per year. In July, Air Norway transported its 10,000th passenger and signed a new contract with the Air Force, which was responsible for more than half the ridership. In November, the administration of the airline was moved from Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
to Ørland and Fosen Næringshage. Snorre Hvitsand was then hired as managing director.
In 2006, the company experienced a 40% passenger growth, and from 6 September, Air Norway also introduced services on Wednesday. The same year, the municipality started a NOK 1.8 million upgrade to the airport. When it opened on 3 September 2007, it became an international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
and allowed transit for passengers to Aalborg, plus increased security and a general renovation of the terminal building from 1978.
Following the bankruptcy of Coast Air
Coast Air
Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth-largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation...
in January 2008, Air Norway and North Flying were awarded an interim contract to operate the route from Fagernes to Oslo, with subsidies from the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...
. At the same time, the airline started a route from Fagernes to Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Trondheim Airport, Værnes is an international airport located in Stjørdal, east of Trondheim, Norway. Operated by the state-owned Avinor, it shares facilities with Værnes Air Station of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. In 2010, the airport had 3,521,734 passengers and 55,747 air movements,...
. In March, they won the public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
(PSO) contract, granting them the route until 31 March 2009. During the first half of 2008, ridership at Fagernes Airport was reduced by 27.3%, compared with the first half of the previous year. From 1 April 2009, the Fagernes PSO contract was lost to DOT LT, and Air Norway terminated those routes.
In 2009, Air Norway lost 1,300 passengers after the Norwegian Air Force decided to not permit their employees to travel from Ørland, but instead have to take cheaper flights from Trondheim, located about a two hour drive away. The reduction in ridership, along with a strengthening of the Danish krone
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
in relation to the Norwegian, caused Air Norway to lose NOK 100,000 by August 2009. The mayor of Ørland stated at that he was working to make the route receive state grants as a PSO. In February 2010, the municipality granted NOK 62,500 for Air Norway to run a television commercial during the semi-final of Melodi Grand Prix
Melodi Grand Prix
Melodi Grand Prix is an annual music competition organised by Norwegian public broadcaster Norsk Rikskringkasting . It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1960.The festival has produced three Eurovision winners and...
.