Braathens
Encyclopedia
Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, is a former Norwegian
airline
that operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines Norway
to become SAS Braathens
in 2004. The airline was based in Oslo, first at Fornebu
, later at Gardermoen
. It was for most of its life Norway's largest domestic airline.
The airline was founded in 1946 by Ludvig G. Braathen
, to provide charter services to South America and the Far East to serve the Braathen Family's shipping operations. During the 1950s, the company changed to become predominantly a domestic airline, supplemented from the 1960s with charter flights to the Mediterranean. Braathens used various Douglas, de Havilland and Fokker
aircraft until 1969, when the Boeing 737
was taken into service. The company was owned by the Braathens family until 1994, when it became listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
. Braathens SAFE enjoyed a domestic duopoly, with regulated routes until 1994. In 1997, the Best/Back concept was introduced, along with a cooperation with KLM. With the price war following the 1998 establishment of Color Air
, Braathens was weighted with financial problems until the 2004 take-over by SAS. It then operated twenty-six 737s.
proprietor Ludvig G. Braathen
with the intention of serving his ships in other parts of the world. It began operating charter routes to the Far East and South America using US Air Force surplus Douglas C-54 piston-engined airliner
s. The maiden commercial flight took to the air on 30 January 1947.
Initially, flights operated during the day only, necessitating several overnight stops for both passengers and crew. The route flown was Oslo
–(Stavanger
)–Amsterdam
–Marseille
–Cairo
–Basra
–Karachi
–Calcutta–Bangkok
–Hong Kong
. The only contemporary regular Europe–Far East scheduled service was BOAC
's sea plane operation. Later the same year, Braathens SAFE supplemented its C-54s with Douglas DC-3
s. Braathens SAFE operated 75 flights to Hong Kong between 1947 and 1948.
Among Norway's contemporary airlines, Det Norske Luftfartsselskap (DNL, later SAS) had a monopoly on all international scheduled air routes from Norway. Braathens SAFE's flights from Norway to the Far East were so regular that Norwegian authorities claimed them to be scheduled and forced the airline to apply for a scheduled license. Braathens threatened to register abroad. As a result, it was licensed to serve Hong Kong in 1949, for a duration of five years. Braathens SAFE also flew to both Venezuela
and Panama
in 1948, but failed to get "clean" licenses, as a result of which it did not commence regular flights.
When Scandinavian Airlines System
was established in 1951, it was given a monopoly on all international scheduled routes within as well as from and to Scandinavia
. As a result of a ten-year agreement with Iceland
ic airline Loftleidir, Braathens SAFE managed to circumvent these restrictions, and was able to operate its C-54/DC-4s on regular routes from Europe to the United States via Iceland, using an Icelandic operating permit.
When Braathens SAFE applied to renew its license for the Far East
ern route in 1954, it was turned down. As a result, Braathens SAFE was forced to refocus itself as a successful domestic-only airline. Braathens was granted several licenses to operate scheduled services on a number of domestic routes. Although SAS was initially granted a monopoly on all Norwegian domestic routes (as a result of the Norwegian government's ownership of 1/7 of SAS' stock), other Norwegian airlines could apply for routes that SAS chose not to operate. This resulted in Braathens SAFE getting a fair number of licenses, amongst others to Stavanger
and Trondheim
.
The first domestic route flown by the airline was Oslo–Tønsberg
–Stavanger with De Havilland DH.114 Heron
piston-engined commuter aircraft, the first of which was delivered on 3 May 1952. In 1953 the airline got permission to fly temporarily to Trondheim, and in 1956 permanently, two routes that the airline continued to operated until its amalgamation with SAS. Subsequently, Røros
(1953) and Kristiansand
(1955) were added to Braathens' scheduled domestic network.
In 1956, the airline obtained an exclusive license to serve Kristiansand–Stavanger–Bergen and Oslo–Ålesund
(from 1958). SAS was also allowed to fly Oslo–Trondheim and Oslo–Stavanger while given monopoly rights from Trondheim to Northern Norway and Oslo–Bergen. This arrangement was kept in place until the award of a licence to Braathens to fly between Western Norway and Northern Norway from 1967.
On 20 December 1958 the airline received its first Fokker F-27 Friendship turboprop
; by 1959 all Herons were replaced by Friendships. The airline also purchased larger, pressurized Douglas DC-6
piston-engined airliners for its charter operations. The charter market grew considerably in Norway during the 1960s and -70s, flying Norwegians to warmer Mediterranean climates.
, the Boeing 737-200, in 1965. Originally, the airline had planned to order Boeing 737-100s, but instead ordered Fokker F-28 Fellowships. Both jet types were delivered in 1969. The two 737s were at first operating charter flights only, while the four F-28s began to replace the F-27s on scheduled domestic routes.
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
airport opened in 1970, with Braathens SAFE licensed as the new airport's first scheduled operator. Two years later, in 1972, Braathens also started flying to the new Molde Airport, Årø
. Stavanger–Haugesund
–Bergen was added in 1974. The same year Braathens SAFE started using an electronic reservation system.
1971 marked the beginning of Norway's oil exploration
. Stavanger became the country's oil capital. To provide logistical
support to the petroleum industry
, Braathens SAFE set up its own helicopter
subsidiary, Braathens Helikopter. It later sold its helicopter unit to its main competitor, Helikopter Service.
In 1984 Braathens took delivery of two Boeing 767-200 wide-body jets, featuring 242 seats in a single-class configuration. The airline's new wide-bodies mainly operated international charter flights. However, these aircraft proved to be too big for most of the airline's operations, and were sold in 1986 (along with the Fokker F-28s). The sale of these aircraft gave Braathens SAFE a standardized fleet for the first time in its history. At the same time, the airline ordered 31 new Boeing 737-400s and -500s. The airline immediately sold all but two of the original 737-200s and lease
d them back, thereby taking advantage of the high prices that could be obtained for well-maintained second-hand aircraft that were in great demand at the time. The airline even managed to sell some of the new 737s for more than it had paid for these aircraft. By 1994 the last 737-200s had left the fleet.
of the Norwegian airline market began in 1987 when Braathens SAFE was allowed to fly Oslo–Bergen, Oslo–Trondheim–Bodø
and Tromsø–Svalbard, while SAS was given full access to Oslo–Stavanger and Oslo–Trondheim. In 1989 Braathens SAFE was once again permitted to fly international routes, resulting in the inauguration of its first fully fledged international scheduled service from Oslo to Billund
. Additional international scheduled services were launched from Oslo / Bergen / Stavanger to Newcastle
as well as from Tromsø to Murmansk
. Within two weeks in October 1992, Norway Airlines
went bankrupt and Dan-Air
, the incumbent British scheduled operator on the London Gatwick–Oslo route as well as a long-standing interline
partner of Braathens, was acquired by British Airways
in a last-minute rescue deal for a symbolic £1. However, Dan-Air's new owner decided to end all scheduled services between Gatwick and Oslo. With only eleven days' notice Braathens SAFE replaced the services Norway Airlines and Dan-Air had previously provided on that route.
The same year, on 1 April, the Norwegian domestic market was deregulated, and any Norwegian or European airline was free to fly any domestic or international route within as well as from and to Norway. While SAS had advocated this for some time, Braathens SAFE's management had tried to delay deregulation until 1997, to buy the company more time to overcome its temporary financial crisis caused by borrowing huge amounts of money to finance the acquisition of a large number of brand-new 737s.
Greater access to capital through a initial public offering
was part of the company's solution to its financial problems. The airline's parent company
, Braathen family owned shipping company Ludvig G. Braathens Rederi A/S, contributed NOK 100 million while others invested NOK 300 million. The primary distribution gave the Braathen family ownership of 68% of the firm's capital. The company was then listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
. At the same time, Braathens Helikopter was sold to Helikopter Service for NOK 225 million.
Following deregulation, Braathens SAFE began flying from Oslo to Bodø, Harstad/Narvik
and Tromsø in Northern Norway. In return, SAS started flying between Bergen and Stavanger. Deregulation resulted in increased flight frequencies on most internal Norwegian air routes.
airline Transwede, and in 1998 fellow-Swedish carrier Malmö Aviation
. The three airlines were merged. In 1997, the company changed its name and identity
. The "new" Braathens dropped the long-established SAFE suffix from its name—simply calling itself Braathens—in both Norway and Sweden. A new, predominantly dark blue aircraft livery
was launched, replacing the previous livery
the airline had been using with only minor variations since its inception in 1946. The company's new logo
, a stylized silver-gray wing, replaced the Norwegian flag on aircraft tailplanes. This was the first livery in the airline's history not to feature the national flag
. The launch of several new commercial products was part of the airline's new strategy as well.
The same year KLM Royal Dutch Airlines bought a 30% stake from the Braathen family. This resulted in Braathens becoming part of the KLM-Northwest
alliance. Braathens took over KLM's routes from Amsterdam to Norway. These routes mainly carried intercontinental transfer passengers who were changing flights at the Dutch
flag carrier
's Amsterdam Schiphol hub
. Northwest Airlines
also started flying to Oslo from its hub at Minneapolis
. The resulting partially integrated network was marketed displaying the respective logos of KLM, Braathens and Malmö Aviation side-by-side on printed flight schedules, network maps, etc.
The most controversial bit of Braathen's new identity was the Braathens Best and Braathens Back concept. Prior to Braathens' makeover, neither it nor SAS had offered a separate business class
cabin on domestic flights in Norway. Traditionally, Braathens' restricted discount fare
s had compelled ticket-holders to comply with the so-called "Saturday night" rule, i.e. forcing these passengers to stay over a weekend. The "Saturday night" rule was designed to help the airline ensure that all same-day-return travelers needed to pay the much higher, published fares. Now, under the new Braathens Best/Back concept, it had decided to seat all discount passengers in a separate cabin at the back of the aircraft—Braathens Back, while all full-fare ticket holders were accommodated in the Braathens Best section at the front of the plane. Back was a no-frills product with a narrower seat pitch
(compared with the full-service Best product). The unintended consequence of Braathens' new commercial concept was that more and more passengers were buying discounted Back tickets. This in turn resulted in the curtain divider separating the two cabins steadily moving forward to accommodate a continually expanding number of discount travelers in the invariably packed Back section, while seat occupancy
in the ever smaller, full-fare Best section declined continuously.
A significant number of Back travelers were students, who frequently complained that the fares they had paid were often the same as rival SAS's lowest fares, and that unlike Braathens, SAS did not charge for the in-flight catering. The Tromsø branch of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
, urged passengers to avoid Braathens. There were reports of messy boarding procedures and Braathens flight attendant
s finding the task of moving passengers into the Back cabin behind the curtain unpleasant, as a result of which many of them wanted to leave Braathens and join SAS instead. Per Morten Schiefloe, professor of sociology, believed Braathens got "the worst of both worlds" by gaining few new passengers in the full-fare Best cabin and losing a significant number of Back discount-travelers, who resented being treated as inferior "second class" citizens.
, Norway's first completely no frills, low-cost carrier
, resulted in a vicious price war between the country's three established domestic airlines, i.e. Braathens, SAS and Widerøe
—a regional domestic carrier Braathens co-owned with SAS—on one hand and the newcomer on the other. Within thirteen months, the ruinous price war had claimed its first victim. Color Air ceased trading during 1999. Braathens suffered as well, but managed to survive. Although SAS lost money too, the large profits
its international as well as its Danish
and Swedish operations generated enabled it to cross-subsidize
the losses incurred in the Norwegian domestic market.
Braathens never recovered from this price war. The airline's decline coincided with the air travel market's general decline. In 2002 the SAS Group
purchased the ailing airline. On 1 April 2004, Scandinavian Airlines Norway and Braathens were merged into SAS Braathens
. This development provided the impetus for Norwegian Air Shuttle
, a former Braathens subcontractor
which had supplied the Fokker 50 turboprops that were operating on Braathens' west coast routes, to transform itself into a low-cost, no frills airline adopting the Norwegian brand. Norwegian's launch was supported by a number of leased Boeing 737-300s.
As of 2007, the Braathen family still owns Swedish regional carrier
Malmö Aviation
. It was not included in Braathens' sale to SAS and therefore did not form part of the subsequently renamed SAS Braathens. In April 2007 SAS announced that it intended to fully absorb Braathens into its mainline Norwegian operation, as a result of which the Braathens name was to disappear for good.
, Fokker
and Boeing
, in addition to the de Havilland Heron
and British Aerospace 146. The airline's most-operated aircraft is the Boeing 737-200
, of which it had 20. Braathens has operated five variants of the 737, totaling 64 aircraft. Two aircraft have been involved in hull-loss accidents.
From the beginning, all Braathens' aircraft livery
had a thick red and thinner white and blue cheatline, with the Flag of Norway
on the vertical stabilizer
. With only slight modifications, this general concept was continued all the way including the 737 Classics. From 1998, Braathens SAFE changed its brand name to Braathens, and changed its corporate identity and livery, using a stylized grey wing as its logo. With the delivery of the 737-700, and consequently repainted older aircraft, received a blue bottom, no cheatline, and a blue vertical stabilizer with the stylized wing. The livery was changed again in 1999, when the design of the vertical stabilizers was changed and replaced with the Flag of Norway. Only some of the Douglas aircraft were named, and those that were, were called "Norse" followed by a description, such as Norse Commander and Norse Skyfarer. The Heron aircraft were given common Norwegian male names: Per, Ola, Pål and Lars. Starting with the three last F-27s, Braathens started naming their aircraft for kings of Norway. From the delivery of the F-28s and 737s, all aircraft were thus named. Once aircraft were retired, the names were often reused on new aircraft.
The following is a list of aircraft operated by Braathens. The list excludes aircraft which were owned, but never operated by, Braathens, and aircraft which were never delivered, even though they were given registration codes
. The list consists of an image, the manufacturer, the model, the total number of aircraft operated by the airline (although the peak number operated may be lower), the year the model was first introduced, the year the last aircraft was taken out of service, and a description of the aircraft's use.
Braathens launched its frequent flyer program
as Bracard in 1985, and rebranded it as Wings in 1999. The membership had three tiers: gold, silver and blue. Until 1997, Braathens had agreements with Finnair
and British Airways
, where Bracard members received miles on the partners flights. After the partnership with KLM was introduced, Wings-members received miles with KLM, Northwest Airlines
, Continental Airlines
and Alitalia
.
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...
airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
that operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines Norway
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
to become SAS Braathens
SAS Braathens
SAS Braathens was the name of Norway's largest airline, created by a merger between Scandinavian Airlines' Norwegian division and Braathens in 2004. On June 1, 2007, the airline was integrated into mainline SAS, and changed its name to SAS Scandinavian Airlines Norge...
in 2004. The airline was based in Oslo, first at Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu was the main airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at Fornebu in Bærum, from the city center. Fornebu had two runways, one...
, later at 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...
. It was for most of its life Norway's largest domestic airline.
The airline was founded in 1946 by Ludvig G. Braathen
Ludvig G. Braathen
Ludvig Gustav Braathen was a Norwegian entrepreneur that founded the shipping company Ludvig G. Braathens Rederi and the airline Braathens SAFE. He was CEO of both companies until his death.-Biography:...
, to provide charter services to South America and the Far East to serve the Braathen Family's shipping operations. During the 1950s, the company changed to become predominantly a domestic airline, supplemented from the 1960s with charter flights to the Mediterranean. Braathens used various Douglas, de Havilland and Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
aircraft until 1969, when the Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
was taken into service. The company was owned by the Braathens family until 1994, when it became listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
Oslo Stock Exchange
The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
. Braathens SAFE enjoyed a domestic duopoly, with regulated routes until 1994. In 1997, the Best/Back concept was introduced, along with a cooperation with KLM. With the price war following the 1998 establishment of Color Air
Color Air
Color Air AS was the first Norwegian low-cost airline. It operated from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in 1998 and 1999 with a fleet of three Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Color Air was a brand extension of Color Line, which shared a common owner in the Olav Nils Sunde-controlled Color Group...
, Braathens was weighted with financial problems until the 2004 take-over by SAS. It then operated twenty-six 737s.
Far East
The airline was founded on 26 March 1946 by Norwegian shipping lineShipping line
-History of shipping lines:Large-scale shipping lines became widespread in the nineteenth century, after the development of the steamship in 1783. At first, Great Britain was the centr of development; in 1819, the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic Ocean took place and by 1833, shipping lines...
proprietor Ludvig G. Braathen
Ludvig G. Braathen
Ludvig Gustav Braathen was a Norwegian entrepreneur that founded the shipping company Ludvig G. Braathens Rederi and the airline Braathens SAFE. He was CEO of both companies until his death.-Biography:...
with the intention of serving his ships in other parts of the world. It began operating charter routes to the Far East and South America using US Air Force surplus Douglas C-54 piston-engined airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
s. The maiden commercial flight took to the air on 30 January 1947.
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...
–(Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
)–Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
–Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
–Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
–Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
–Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
–Calcutta–Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
–Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The only contemporary regular Europe–Far East scheduled service was BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
's sea plane operation. Later the same year, Braathens SAFE supplemented its C-54s with Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s. Braathens SAFE operated 75 flights to Hong Kong between 1947 and 1948.
Among Norway's contemporary airlines, Det Norske Luftfartsselskap (DNL, later SAS) had a monopoly on all international scheduled air routes from Norway. Braathens SAFE's flights from Norway to the Far East were so regular that Norwegian authorities claimed them to be scheduled and forced the airline to apply for a scheduled license. Braathens threatened to register abroad. As a result, it was licensed to serve Hong Kong in 1949, for a duration of five years. Braathens SAFE also flew to both Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 1948, but failed to get "clean" licenses, as a result of which it did not commence regular flights.
When Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
was established in 1951, it was given a monopoly on all international scheduled routes within as well as from and to Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. As a result of a ten-year agreement with Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic airline Loftleidir, Braathens SAFE managed to circumvent these restrictions, and was able to operate its C-54/DC-4s on regular routes from Europe to the United States via Iceland, using an Icelandic operating permit.
SAFE goes domestic
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
ern route in 1954, it was turned down. As a result, Braathens SAFE was forced to refocus itself as a successful domestic-only airline. Braathens was granted several licenses to operate scheduled services on a number of domestic routes. Although SAS was initially granted a monopoly on all Norwegian domestic routes (as a result of the Norwegian government's ownership of 1/7 of SAS' stock), other Norwegian airlines could apply for routes that SAS chose not to operate. This resulted in Braathens SAFE getting a fair number of licenses, amongst others to Stavanger
Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located in Sola, Norway, southwest of Stavanger. It is Norway's third-busiest airport, with both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter traffic for the offshore North Sea oil installations...
and Trondheim
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,...
.
The first domestic route flown by the airline was Oslo–Tønsberg
Tønsberg Airport, Jarlsberg
Tønsberg Airport, Jarlsberg , sometimes called Jarlsberg Airport is located in Tønsberg, Norway.Jarlsberg airport was founded in 1937, and has since then been used for private, commercial and military operations...
–Stavanger with De Havilland DH.114 Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
piston-engined commuter aircraft, the first of which was delivered on 3 May 1952. In 1953 the airline got permission to fly temporarily to Trondheim, and in 1956 permanently, two routes that the airline continued to operated until its amalgamation with SAS. Subsequently, Røros
Røros Airport
Røros Airport is a regional airport serving the town of Røros in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The airport is located west of the town centre and opened in 1957. It is served daily by DOT LT to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and weekly by Skyways Express to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport...
(1953) and Kristiansand
Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik
Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik is situated northeast of the city Kristiansand, Vest-Agder in southern Norway, located from the city centre. The airport serves the Agder district with domestic and international flights. In 2008 the airport had 915,092 passengers. The airport is operated by Avinor...
(1955) were added to Braathens' scheduled domestic network.
In 1956, the airline obtained an exclusive license to serve Kristiansand–Stavanger–Bergen and Oslo–Ålesund
Ålesund Airport, Vigra
Ålesund Airport, Vigra is an airport which serves the city of Ålesund in Norway and the surrounding regions Sunnmøre, Nordfjord and Romsdal. The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of Ålesund city centre and easily accessible through underseas tunnels...
(from 1958). SAS was also allowed to fly Oslo–Trondheim and Oslo–Stavanger while given monopoly rights from Trondheim to Northern Norway and Oslo–Bergen. This arrangement was kept in place until the award of a licence to Braathens to fly between Western Norway and Northern Norway from 1967.
On 20 December 1958 the airline received its first Fokker F-27 Friendship turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
; by 1959 all Herons were replaced by Friendships. The airline also purchased larger, pressurized Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
piston-engined airliners for its charter operations. The charter market grew considerably in Norway during the 1960s and -70s, flying Norwegians to warmer Mediterranean climates.
Into the Jet Age
Braathens ordered its first jet aircraftJet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, the Boeing 737-200, in 1965. Originally, the airline had planned to order Boeing 737-100s, but instead ordered Fokker F-28 Fellowships. Both jet types were delivered in 1969. The two 737s were at first operating charter flights only, while the four F-28s began to replace the F-27s on scheduled domestic routes.
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget is a small size international airport located next to the small mountain Kvernberget, east southeast or from the town center of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, opened in 1970 and caters to the county's northern district, Nordmøre. The airport...
airport opened in 1970, with Braathens SAFE licensed as the new airport's first scheduled operator. Two years later, in 1972, Braathens also started flying to the new Molde Airport, Årø
Molde Airport, Årø
Molde Airport, Årø is located in the city of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It serves Molde and the surrounding district of Romsdal. The airport sits about east of the city. After opening in 1972, services have been mainly to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim...
. Stavanger–Haugesund
Haugesund Airport, Karmøy
Haugesund Airport, Karmøy is the airport serving the city of Haugesund in Norway. It is located on the west side of the island and municipality of Karmøy, southwest of Haugesund. The airport was opened in 1975 and is operated by Avinor....
–Bergen was added in 1974. The same year Braathens SAFE started using an electronic reservation system.
1971 marked the beginning of Norway's oil exploration
Oil exploration
Hydrocarbon exploration is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface, such as oil and natural gas...
. Stavanger became the country's oil capital. To provide logistical
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
support to the petroleum industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
, Braathens SAFE set up its own helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
subsidiary, Braathens Helikopter. It later sold its helicopter unit to its main competitor, Helikopter Service.
In 1984 Braathens took delivery of two Boeing 767-200 wide-body jets, featuring 242 seats in a single-class configuration. The airline's new wide-bodies mainly operated international charter flights. However, these aircraft proved to be too big for most of the airline's operations, and were sold in 1986 (along with the Fokker F-28s). The sale of these aircraft gave Braathens SAFE a standardized fleet for the first time in its history. At the same time, the airline ordered 31 new Boeing 737-400s and -500s. The airline immediately sold all but two of the original 737-200s and lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
d them back, thereby taking advantage of the high prices that could be obtained for well-maintained second-hand aircraft that were in great demand at the time. The airline even managed to sell some of the new 737s for more than it had paid for these aircraft. By 1994 the last 737-200s had left the fleet.
Deregulation
DeregulationDeregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of the Norwegian airline market began in 1987 when Braathens SAFE was allowed to fly Oslo–Bergen, Oslo–Trondheim–Bodø
Bodø 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...
and Tromsø–Svalbard, while SAS was given full access to Oslo–Stavanger and Oslo–Trondheim. In 1989 Braathens SAFE was once again permitted to fly international routes, resulting in the inauguration of its first fully fledged international scheduled service from Oslo to Billund
Billund, Denmark
Billund is the second largest town in Billund Municipality, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark with a population of 6,139 .-Overview:...
. Additional international scheduled services were launched from Oslo / Bergen / Stavanger to Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
as well as from Tromsø to Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. Within two weeks in October 1992, Norway Airlines
Norway Airlines
Norway Airlines was a Norwegian airline based in Oslo, Norway. The airline was established in 1987, with its first route from Oslo Airport, Fornebu, to London Gatwick...
went bankrupt and Dan-Air
Dan-Air
Dan-Air was a leading private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline based in the United Kingdom....
, the incumbent British scheduled operator on the London Gatwick–Oslo route as well as a long-standing interline
Interlining
Interlining is a voluntary commercial agreement between individual airlines to handle passengers traveling on itineraries that require multiple airlines.-Agreements:...
partner of Braathens, was acquired by British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
in a last-minute rescue deal for a symbolic £1. However, Dan-Air's new owner decided to end all scheduled services between Gatwick and Oslo. With only eleven days' notice Braathens SAFE replaced the services Norway Airlines and Dan-Air had previously provided on that route.
The same year, on 1 April, the Norwegian domestic market was deregulated, and any Norwegian or European airline was free to fly any domestic or international route within as well as from and to Norway. While SAS had advocated this for some time, Braathens SAFE's management had tried to delay deregulation until 1997, to buy the company more time to overcome its temporary financial crisis caused by borrowing huge amounts of money to finance the acquisition of a large number of brand-new 737s.
Greater access to capital through a initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
was part of the company's solution to its financial problems. The airline's parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
, Braathen family owned shipping company Ludvig G. Braathens Rederi A/S, contributed NOK 100 million while others invested NOK 300 million. The primary distribution gave the Braathen family ownership of 68% of the firm's capital. The company was then listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
Oslo Stock Exchange
The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
. At the same time, Braathens Helikopter was sold to Helikopter Service for NOK 225 million.
Following deregulation, Braathens SAFE began flying from Oslo to Bodø, Harstad/Narvik
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes is located in the Evenes municipality, in Nordland county in northern Norway. Some of the runway lighting at the north end of the runway crosses the county border into the Skånland municipality in Troms...
and Tromsø in Northern Norway. In return, SAS started flying between Bergen and Stavanger. Deregulation resulted in increased flight frequencies on most internal Norwegian air routes.
SAFE becomes Back
1997 was the year the airline adopted a new strategy. The previous year, Braathens SAFE had bought the SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
airline Transwede, and in 1998 fellow-Swedish carrier Malmö Aviation
Malmö Aviation
Malmö Aviation is a regional airline based in Malmö, Sweden. It operates scheduled services within Sweden from Stockholm, as well as scheduled international services to Belgium and France. Its main base is Malmö Airport, with a hub at Stockholm-Bromma Airport....
. The three airlines were merged. In 1997, the company changed its name and identity
Corporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
. The "new" Braathens dropped the long-established SAFE suffix from its name—simply calling itself Braathens—in both Norway and Sweden. A new, predominantly dark blue aircraft livery
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
was launched, replacing the previous livery
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
the airline had been using with only minor variations since its inception in 1946. The company's new logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
, a stylized silver-gray wing, replaced the Norwegian flag on aircraft tailplanes. This was the first livery in the airline's history not to feature the national flag
Flag of Norway
The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark.- History :...
. The launch of several new commercial products was part of the airline's new strategy as well.
The same year KLM Royal Dutch Airlines bought a 30% stake from the Braathen family. This resulted in Braathens becoming part of the KLM-Northwest
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
alliance. Braathens took over KLM's routes from Amsterdam to Norway. These routes mainly carried intercontinental transfer passengers who were changing flights at the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
's Amsterdam Schiphol hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
. Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
also started flying to Oslo from its hub at Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The resulting partially integrated network was marketed displaying the respective logos of KLM, Braathens and Malmö Aviation side-by-side on printed flight schedules, network maps, etc.
The most controversial bit of Braathen's new identity was the Braathens Best and Braathens Back concept. Prior to Braathens' makeover, neither it nor SAS had offered a separate business class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
cabin on domestic flights in Norway. Traditionally, Braathens' restricted discount fare
Fare
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger allowing him or her to make use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used.-Uses:...
s had compelled ticket-holders to comply with the so-called "Saturday night" rule, i.e. forcing these passengers to stay over a weekend. The "Saturday night" rule was designed to help the airline ensure that all same-day-return travelers needed to pay the much higher, published fares. Now, under the new Braathens Best/Back concept, it had decided to seat all discount passengers in a separate cabin at the back of the aircraft—Braathens Back, while all full-fare ticket holders were accommodated in the Braathens Best section at the front of the plane. Back was a no-frills product with a narrower seat pitch
Airline seat
An airline seat is a chair on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage...
(compared with the full-service Best product). The unintended consequence of Braathens' new commercial concept was that more and more passengers were buying discounted Back tickets. This in turn resulted in the curtain divider separating the two cabins steadily moving forward to accommodate a continually expanding number of discount travelers in the invariably packed Back section, while seat occupancy
Load factor
Load factor may refer to:* Load factor , the ratio of the lift of an aircraft to its weight* Load factor , the ratio of the number of records to the number of addresses within a data structure...
in the ever smaller, full-fare Best section declined continuously.
A significant number of Back travelers were students, who frequently complained that the fares they had paid were often the same as rival SAS's lowest fares, and that unlike Braathens, SAS did not charge for the in-flight catering. The Tromsø branch of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...
, urged passengers to avoid Braathens. There were reports of messy boarding procedures and Braathens flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
s finding the task of moving passengers into the Back cabin behind the curtain unpleasant, as a result of which many of them wanted to leave Braathens and join SAS instead. Per Morten Schiefloe, professor of sociology, believed Braathens got "the worst of both worlds" by gaining few new passengers in the full-fare Best cabin and losing a significant number of Back discount-travelers, who resented being treated as inferior "second class" citizens.
The fall of Braathens
Ultimately, the Best/Back strategy failed, primarily because of the huge revenue loss Braathens suffered, as a result of losing many low-fare passengers to arch rival SAS and significant numbers of loyal, full-fare customers availing themselves of unrestricted, deeply discounted Back fares. The launch in 1998 of Color AirColor Air
Color Air AS was the first Norwegian low-cost airline. It operated from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in 1998 and 1999 with a fleet of three Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Color Air was a brand extension of Color Line, which shared a common owner in the Olav Nils Sunde-controlled Color Group...
, Norway's first completely no frills, low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
, resulted in a vicious price war between the country's three established domestic airlines, i.e. Braathens, SAS and Widerøe
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
—a regional domestic carrier Braathens co-owned with SAS—on one hand and the newcomer on the other. Within thirteen months, the ruinous price war had claimed its first victim. Color Air ceased trading during 1999. Braathens suffered as well, but managed to survive. Although SAS lost money too, the large profits
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
its international as well as its Danish
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...
and Swedish operations generated enabled it to cross-subsidize
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
the losses incurred in the Norwegian domestic market.
Braathens never recovered from this price war. The airline's decline coincided with the air travel market's general decline. In 2002 the SAS Group
SAS Group
Scandinavian Airlines System Aktiebolag , trading as SAS Group and SAS AB, is a holding company based in Solna, Sweden. It is the parent company of the airlines Scandinavian Airlines, Blue1 and Widerøe, and the aviation services companies SAS Business Opportunities, SAS Cargo Group, SAS Ground...
purchased the ailing airline. On 1 April 2004, Scandinavian Airlines Norway and Braathens were merged into SAS Braathens
SAS Braathens
SAS Braathens was the name of Norway's largest airline, created by a merger between Scandinavian Airlines' Norwegian division and Braathens in 2004. On June 1, 2007, the airline was integrated into mainline SAS, and changed its name to SAS Scandinavian Airlines Norge...
. This development provided the impetus for Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA , trading as Norwegian, is the second-largest airline in Scandinavia. In 2010, it transported 13.0 million people. As of October 2011, Norwegian operates a total fleet of 62 aircraft; 17 Boeing 737-300s and 45 Boeing 737-800s...
, a former Braathens subcontractor
Subcontractor
A subcontractor is an individual or in many cases a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract....
which had supplied the Fokker 50 turboprops that were operating on Braathens' west coast routes, to transform itself into a low-cost, no frills airline adopting the Norwegian brand. Norwegian's launch was supported by a number of leased Boeing 737-300s.
As of 2007, the Braathen family still owns Swedish regional carrier
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
Malmö Aviation
Malmö Aviation
Malmö Aviation is a regional airline based in Malmö, Sweden. It operates scheduled services within Sweden from Stockholm, as well as scheduled international services to Belgium and France. Its main base is Malmö Airport, with a hub at Stockholm-Bromma Airport....
. It was not included in Braathens' sale to SAS and therefore did not form part of the subsequently renamed SAS Braathens. In April 2007 SAS announced that it intended to fully absorb Braathens into its mainline Norwegian operation, as a result of which the Braathens name was to disappear for good.
Fleet
The airline operated 118 aircraft of 15 different models. The airline has operated at least three models each from DouglasDouglas
Douglas is a common surname of Scottish origin, thought to derive from the Gaelic dubh glas, meaning "black stream". There are numerous places in Scotland and Ireland from which the surname may be derived. The surname has developed into the given name Douglas...
, Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
and Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, in addition to the de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
and British Aerospace 146. The airline's most-operated aircraft is the Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, of which it had 20. Braathens has operated five variants of the 737, totaling 64 aircraft. Two aircraft have been involved in hull-loss accidents.
From the beginning, all Braathens' aircraft livery
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
had a thick red and thinner white and blue cheatline, with the Flag of Norway
Flag of Norway
The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark.- History :...
on the vertical stabilizer
Vertical stabilizer
The vertical stabilizers, vertical stabilisers, or fins, of aircraft, missiles or bombs are typically found on the aft end of the fuselage or body, and are intended to reduce aerodynamic side slip. It is analogical to a skeg on boats and ships.On aircraft, vertical stabilizers generally point upwards...
. With only slight modifications, this general concept was continued all the way including the 737 Classics. From 1998, Braathens SAFE changed its brand name to Braathens, and changed its corporate identity and livery, using a stylized grey wing as its logo. With the delivery of the 737-700, and consequently repainted older aircraft, received a blue bottom, no cheatline, and a blue vertical stabilizer with the stylized wing. The livery was changed again in 1999, when the design of the vertical stabilizers was changed and replaced with the Flag of Norway. Only some of the Douglas aircraft were named, and those that were, were called "Norse" followed by a description, such as Norse Commander and Norse Skyfarer. The Heron aircraft were given common Norwegian male names: Per, Ola, Pål and Lars. Starting with the three last F-27s, Braathens started naming their aircraft for kings of Norway. From the delivery of the F-28s and 737s, all aircraft were thus named. Once aircraft were retired, the names were often reused on new aircraft.
The following is a list of aircraft operated by Braathens. The list excludes aircraft which were owned, but never operated by, Braathens, and aircraft which were never delivered, even though they were given registration codes
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
. The list consists of an image, the manufacturer, the model, the total number of aircraft operated by the airline (although the peak number operated may be lower), the year the model was first introduced, the year the last aircraft was taken out of service, and a description of the aircraft's use.
| Manufacturer | Model | Quantity | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas... |
C-54 Skymaster Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role... |
6 | 1947 | 1966 |
| Douglas Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas... |
C-47 Dakota | 2 | 1947 | 1964 |
| de Havilland De Havilland The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane... |
DH.114 Heron De Havilland Heron The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle... |
7 | 1952 | 1960 |
| Fokker Fokker Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919.... |
F-27 Friendship | 8 | 1958 | 1977 |
| Douglas Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas... |
DC-6A/C Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range... |
1 | 1961 | 1965 |
| Douglas Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas... |
DC-6B Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range... |
7 | 1962 | 1973 |
| Fokker Fokker Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919.... |
F-28 Fellowship | 6 | 1969 | 1986 |
| Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
737-200 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
20 | 1969 | 1994 |
| Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
767-200 Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... |
2 | 1984 | 1986 |
| Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
737-400 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
7 | 1989 | 2004 |
| Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
737-500 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
17 | 1990 | 2004 |
| Fokker Fokker Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919.... |
100 | 5 | 1997 | 1999 |
| Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
1 | 1997 | 1999 |
| Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
737-700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
13 | 1998 | 2004 |
| British Aerospace British Aerospace British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire... |
146-200 | 10 | 1998 | 2001 |
Destinations
During its operations, the airline has served 53 airports serving 50 cities. Of these, 25 airports serving 23 cities were in Norway and 6 destinations and cities in Sweden. Braathens had provided international services to 23 airports serving 24 cities in 18 counties. Seven of these cities are in Asia, the rest in Europe. In addition, Braathens has served numerous destinations as both regular and ad-hoc charter. Braathens' main hubs were Oslo Airport, Fornebu (1949–98), Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (1998–2007) and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (1997–99). The main technical base was at Stavanger Airport, Sola.Service
Prior to 1998, Braathens had a one-class service. The service included a complimentary meal. Discounted tickets were available with restrictions. Starting 23 March 1998, the airline changed its corporate identify to 'Braathens' and introduced a two-class system onboard its planes. Passengers paying full price were seated in the 'Best' category at the front of the plane. About 70% of the plane was in the Best category, which was located at the front of the plane. Customers flying on this service received complimentary coffee and meals with non-disposable cutlery, free newspapers and a better seat pitch. Behind the curtain was the 'Back' category, which had no in-flight meals or newspapers and a smaller pitch. However, a meal with coffee and soft drink could be purchased for NOK 45. Back tickets were sold with a discount, but had to be bought at least seven days before travel, and the traveller had to be away over a weekend. Best Super was even cheaper, but had to be ordered at least 14 days in advance and flights on Sundays were not permitted. For Best tickets, there were also some discounted tickets, but these never cost as little as the Back tickets.Braathens launched its frequent flyer program
Frequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
as Bracard in 1985, and rebranded it as Wings in 1999. The membership had three tiers: gold, silver and blue. Until 1997, Braathens had agreements with Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
and British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, where Bracard members received miles on the partners flights. After the partnership with KLM was introduced, Wings-members received miles with KLM, Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
and Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
.
Accidents and incidents
- On 7 November 1956, Heron LN-SUR Lars crashed in Hummelfjell after it started to ice. Named the Hummelfjell AccidentHummelfjell AccidentThe Hummelfjell Accident occurred on 7 November 1956 at 9:50, when a de Havilland Heron crashed into the mountain Hummelfjell in Tolga, Norway. The Braathens SAFE aircraft was on route from Trondheim Airport, Værnes to Oslo Airport, Fornebu. The accident was caused by the aircraft losing altitude...
, the captainPilot in commandThe pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
and one passenger were killed.
- On 23 December 1972, Braathens suffered a fatal accident when Flight 239Braathens Flight 239- External links :*...
crashed while approaching Fornebu airport, killing 40 people. The aircraft was a Fokker F-28, LN-SUY Sverre Sigurdsson. At the time this was the worst aircraft accident in Norway.
- On 21 June 1985, LN-SUG Harald Gille Flight 139Braathens SAFE Flight 139Braathen SAFE Flight 139 was an aircraft hijacking that occurred in Norway on 21 June 1985. The incident took place on a Boeing 737-205 belonging to Braathens SAFE that was on a scheduled flight from Trondheim Airport, Værnes to Oslo Airport, Fornebu. The hijacker was Stein Arvid Huseby, who was...
was hijackedAircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
en route from Trondheim to Oslo, with the hijacker demanding to make a political statement. No-one was injured during the incident after the hijacker exchanged his gun for beer.
External links
Official site at the Wayback MachineWayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital time capsule created by the Internet Archive non-profit organization, based in San Francisco, California. It is maintained with content from Alexa Internet. The service enables users to see archived versions of web pages across time, which the Archive calls a "three...