Coast Aero Center
Encyclopedia
Coast Aero Center was a regional airline
based Haugesund Airport, Karmøy
in Norway
. It had only small-plane operations and mechanical services until 1984, when it got concessions to operate at the new Stord Airport, Sørstokken
, Geilo Airport, Dagali
, and eventually from Haugesund to Aberdeen. It soon turned out that the company was not profitable, and filed for bankruptcy in 1988. The estate continued on as Coast Air
.
to perform regional airline services in Norway. The company was owned and run by Asbjørn Utne.
in the Unite, Coast Aero Center applied for the concession the route from Haugesund, hoping to use a 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante that would be bought used for NOK 7.5 million. The service would have a morning flight from Haugesund, with return in the evening. While SAS had said they were not interested in the route, in November 1985 they changed their mind, and choose to use their preferential right to start the route instead of Coast Aero Center. However, in April 1986, SAS announced that they would not operate the route anyway. Following this, Coast Aero Center started on 20 August their service on the route. It turned out to not be profitable, and was terminated in April 1987.
In October 1984, Coast Aero Center, along with Norving
and Fonnafly
, applied for concession for the airport Stord Airport, Sørstokken
, and routes to Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. Coast Air was successful at receiving the concession, and service started on 12 August 1986, operating a ten-seater Beechcraft Super King 200
In August, the company also received concession to fly from Stord via Skien Airport, Geiteryggen
to Oslo. By March 1987, traffic had increased so much that the company instead put into service a larger, 20-seater Twin Otter aircraft. Additional concessions to fly to Haugesund were also granted the same year, as were direct services to Oslo, making the stops in Skien unnecessary.
In 1985, the company joined the joint venture
Commuter Service, along with the other regional airlines Mørefly based in Ålesund
, Trønderfly based in Trondheim
and Norsk Flytjeneste
based in Sandefjord. The goal was to coordinate the services, and grow through new, small route.
On 20 June 1986, Coast Aero Center was awarded the concession for flying from Stavanger to Geilo Airport, Dagali
until 1991. The airline put into service a Beechcraft Super King 200. The ridership from Geilo turned out to be too bad, and both Coast Aero Center and Norving terminated their routes. Widerøe
and Norsk Air
said there was not enough ridership for them to be interested. 1986 was NOK 14 million and the company had 24 employees. That year, they chose to connect to the PNR/Smart
booking system. The revenue in 1986 was NOK 14 million. In 1988, the company also bid for operating parts of the Norwegian Air Ambulance
.
(DnC) announced that they would not issue more credit. At the time the company had nine daily routes, and 35 employees. All services were immediately suspended. It had a debt of NOK 23 million, of which DnC demanded NOK 13 million paid by 10 February, but the bank later gave the company three weeks to find the capital. On 17 February a proposal for refinancing was made, where the hangar
s were sold to the local municipalities, who would also make a guarantee for NOK 2 million. DnC would delete part of the debt, and additional capital would be granted from the Kosmos-owned Norsk Air. This was not sufficient, and on 29 April, Coast Aero Center filed for bankruptcy. Also Asbjørn Utne had to file for personal bankruptcy
.
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 Haugesund Airport, Karmøy
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....
in 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 had only small-plane operations and mechanical services until 1984, when it got concessions to operate at the new Stord Airport, Sørstokken
Stord Airport, Sørstokken
Stord Airport, Sørstokken is a municipal regional airport located at Sørstokken in Stord, Norway. Located from Leirvik, it is the only airport with scheduled services in Sunnhordland. The airport consists of a single asphalted long 15–33 runway. It is classified as an airport of entry.Danish...
, Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali is a private airport located at Dagali in Hol, Norway. It was previously a public airport that was both a regional airport and served international tourist charter airlines serving the nearby ski resorts centered around Geilo. The airport opened in 1985, but failed...
, and eventually from Haugesund to Aberdeen. It soon turned out that the company was not profitable, and filed for bankruptcy in 1988. The estate continued on as 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...
.
History
Establishment
The company started operations in 1975 as Coast Aero Center at Haugesund Airport. The company was a local mechanical and small-plane operator until 1984, when it started to apply for concessionsConcession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
to perform regional airline services in Norway. The company was owned and run by Asbjørn Utne.
Expansion
Following the decision of SAS in 1984 to discontinue their route from Haugesund to AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
in the Unite, Coast Aero Center applied for the concession the route from Haugesund, hoping to use a 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante that would be bought used for NOK 7.5 million. The service would have a morning flight from Haugesund, with return in the evening. While SAS had said they were not interested in the route, in November 1985 they changed their mind, and choose to use their preferential right to start the route instead of Coast Aero Center. However, in April 1986, SAS announced that they would not operate the route anyway. Following this, Coast Aero Center started on 20 August their service on the route. It turned out to not be profitable, and was terminated in April 1987.
In October 1984, Coast Aero Center, along with Norving
Norving
Norving A/S was a regional airline that operated in Norway between 1971 and 1993. It had roots back to the establishment of Varangfly in 1959. At the most, the company had eight bases and 27 aircraft.-History:...
and Fonnafly
Fonnafly
Fonnafly is an airline based in Bergen, Norway. It operates five Cessna 206 and one De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, all seaplanes, as well as two Robinson R44 helicopters. The main operational bases are Rosendal, as well as Bergen, Voss and Oslo Airport, Fornebu....
, applied for concession for the airport Stord Airport, Sørstokken
Stord Airport, Sørstokken
Stord Airport, Sørstokken is a municipal regional airport located at Sørstokken in Stord, Norway. Located from Leirvik, it is the only airport with scheduled services in Sunnhordland. The airport consists of a single asphalted long 15–33 runway. It is classified as an airport of entry.Danish...
, and routes to Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. Coast Air was successful at receiving the concession, and service started on 12 August 1986, operating a ten-seater Beechcraft Super King 200
Beechcraft Super King Air
The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...
In August, the company also received concession to fly from Stord via Skien Airport, Geiteryggen
Skien Airport, Geiteryggen
Skien Airport, Geiteryggen is an airport located 2.5 km southwest of the city centre of Skien, Norway. Skien Lufthavn AS operates the airport and this company is owned by the local municipality of Skien in the Grenland region. Services are provided by Danish Air Transport to Bergen and Stavanger...
to Oslo. By March 1987, traffic had increased so much that the company instead put into service a larger, 20-seater Twin Otter aircraft. Additional concessions to fly to Haugesund were also granted the same year, as were direct services to Oslo, making the stops in Skien unnecessary.
In 1985, the company joined the joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
Commuter Service, along with the other regional airlines Mørefly based in Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
, Trønderfly based in 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...
and Norsk Flytjeneste
Norsk Air
Widerøe Norsk Air AS, formerly known as Vestfoldfly, Norsk Flytjeneste AS and Norsk Air AS, was a Norwegian airline based at Sandefjord Airport, Torp...
based in Sandefjord. The goal was to coordinate the services, and grow through new, small route.
On 20 June 1986, Coast Aero Center was awarded the concession for flying from Stavanger to Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali is a private airport located at Dagali in Hol, Norway. It was previously a public airport that was both a regional airport and served international tourist charter airlines serving the nearby ski resorts centered around Geilo. The airport opened in 1985, but failed...
until 1991. The airline put into service a Beechcraft Super King 200. The ridership from Geilo turned out to be too bad, and both Coast Aero Center and Norving terminated their routes. 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...
and Norsk Air
Norsk Air
Widerøe Norsk Air AS, formerly known as Vestfoldfly, Norsk Flytjeneste AS and Norsk Air AS, was a Norwegian airline based at Sandefjord Airport, Torp...
said there was not enough ridership for them to be interested. 1986 was NOK 14 million and the company had 24 employees. That year, they chose to connect to the PNR/Smart
Passenger Name Record
In the travel industry, a passenger name record is a record in the database of a computer reservation system that contains the itinerary for a passenger, or a group of passengers traveling together...
booking system. The revenue in 1986 was NOK 14 million. In 1988, the company also bid for operating parts of the Norwegian Air Ambulance
Norwegian Air Ambulance
The Norwegian Air Ambulance is the air ambulance service in Norway organised through the government owned limited company Luftambulansetjenesten . The service provides helicopter emergency medical service and fixed wing air ambulance operations.Dedicated planes are provided at six airports, and...
.
Bankruptcy
The company was thrown into financial distress on 7 February 1988, when Den norske CreditbankDen norske Creditbank
Den norske Creditbank or DnC is a defunct Norwegian commercial bank created in 1857. In 1990 it merged with Bergen Bank to create Den norske Bank...
(DnC) announced that they would not issue more credit. At the time the company had nine daily routes, and 35 employees. All services were immediately suspended. It had a debt of NOK 23 million, of which DnC demanded NOK 13 million paid by 10 February, but the bank later gave the company three weeks to find the capital. On 17 February a proposal for refinancing was made, where the hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s were sold to the local municipalities, who would also make a guarantee for NOK 2 million. DnC would delete part of the debt, and additional capital would be granted from the Kosmos-owned Norsk Air. This was not sufficient, and on 29 April, Coast Aero Center filed for bankruptcy. Also Asbjørn Utne had to file for personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy is a procedure which, in certain jurisdictions, allows an individual to declare bankruptcy. In other jurisdictions, bankruptcies are reserved for corporations.-Canada:...
.
Destinations
- NorwayNorwayNorway , 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...
- BergenBergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
(Bergen Airport, FleslandBergen Airport, FleslandBergen Airport, Flesland is an international airport located southwest of Bergen, Norway. Opened in 1955, it is the second-busiest airport in Norway, with 5,296,325 passengers in 2010. Flesland is operated by the state-owned Avinor...
) - GeiloGeilois a centre in the municipality of Hol in Norway, in the valley of Hallingdal, with around 2300 inhabitants.Geilo is primarily a ski resort town, but also offers summer activities. Geilo is in a valley with mountain ranges on each side. The center of the town lies at 800 meters above sea level, and...
(Geilo Airport, DagaliGeilo Airport, DagaliGeilo Airport, Dagali is a private airport located at Dagali in Hol, Norway. It was previously a public airport that was both a regional airport and served international tourist charter airlines serving the nearby ski resorts centered around Geilo. The airport opened in 1985, but failed...
) - HaugesundHaugesundis a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
(Haugesund Airport, KarmøyHaugesund Airport, KarmøyHaugesund 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....
) - OsloOsloOslo 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...
(Oslo Airport, FornebuOslo Airport, FornebuOslo 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...
) - SkienSkien' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
(Skien Airport, GeiteryggenSkien Airport, GeiteryggenSkien Airport, Geiteryggen is an airport located 2.5 km southwest of the city centre of Skien, Norway. Skien Lufthavn AS operates the airport and this company is owned by the local municipality of Skien in the Grenland region. Services are provided by Danish Air Transport to Bergen and Stavanger...
) - StavangerStavangerStavanger 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...
(Stavanger Airport, SolaStavanger Airport, SolaStavanger 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...
) - StordStordStord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" - as it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural land, and mountain areas....
(Stord Airport, SørstokkenStord Airport, SørstokkenStord Airport, Sørstokken is a municipal regional airport located at Sørstokken in Stord, Norway. Located from Leirvik, it is the only airport with scheduled services in Sunnhordland. The airport consists of a single asphalted long 15–33 runway. It is classified as an airport of entry.Danish...
)
- Bergen
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
(Aberdeen AirportAberdeen AirportAberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
)
- Aberdeen