Lawrence Yusishen establishes Northwinds at Thompson, Manitoba, in
1988 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo flights linking the company’s base with Cross Lake and Norway House. Operations commence with 3 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, 2 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains, 2 PA-31-310 Navajos, and 1 PA-34 Seneca.
Ray Bayer is appointed general manager in 1990 and flights begin to Winnipeg. The fleet is increased by the addition of a Beech Super King Air 200. In 1991, the Seneca and Super King Air are replaced by a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. A DHC-3 Otter is purchased in 1992. Operations continue apace until 1996.
NORTJET, S. A.: Spain (1988-1992). Nortjet is organized as a charter airline at Madrid in late 1988 and a contract is placed with GPA, Ltd. for the lease of three Boeing 737-4Y0s. Revenue flights commence in early
1989 after delivery of the first aircraft. Atotal of 376,575 passengers and 51.73 million FTKs are flown by the 153-employee airline during its first full year of service. Although revenues are $32 million, expenses are $33.9 million and force and operating loss of $1.9 million.
Operations continue apace in 1990 as plans are made to offer scheduled services with a British Aerospace BAe 146-200. In light of world recessionary and political developments, the idea is abandoned in 1991. Unable to maintain its viability, the carrier is forced to shut its doors on February 12, 1992.
NORVING, A. S.: Norway (1959-1990). Originally formed at A. S. Varangfly at Kirkenes in July 1959, this company begins de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver charter operations on June 20, 1960. Nonsched-uled operations, including air ambulance and general charter flights from bases at Kirkenes, Alta, Hammerfest, Tromso, Bodo, Bronnoy-sund, Skien, and Bergen continue for 11 years until April 1, 1970, when the company is renamed A. S. Varangfly-Norwings and begins scheduled services. Flights link the Kirkenes to Vadso and Batsfjord.
The corporate image is changed again on July 1, 1972 when the airline is renamed A. S. Norving. Over the next decade, the fleet grows to comprise 5 Cessna 404 Titans, 4 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, 1 Cessna 441, 1 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, 3 PA-31-310 Navajos, 1 DHC-3 Otter, and 1 DHC-2 Beaver.
In 1981-1982, Norving becomes the first to take delivery of the new Dornier 228-100 turboprop as passenger boardings rise from 49,510 to 52,190.
In 1983, the commuter airline A. S. Nordsjofly is taken over as a subsidiary and the carrier’s scheduled is significantly increased. Domestic points now visited include Alta, Batsfjord, Bergen, Farsund, Hammerfest, Hasvik, Haugesund, Kirkenes, Oslo, Skien, Stavanger, Tromso, and Vadso.
Regional markets include Kiruna, Sweden, and Rovaniemi, Finland. In addition, replacement services are undertaken by the 152-employee company for SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) linking Trondheim with Sundsvall and Ostersund in Sweden. Customer bookings skyrocket 106% to 107,555.
Enplanements for 1984 total 150,000 and the fleet in 1985 comprises 4 Dornier 228-100s, 2 Fairchild-Swearingen Metro IIIs, 2 Beech 99s, 1 Navajo Chieftain, 4 Islanders, 5 Cessna 441C Conquests, and 2 404 Titans.
By 1986, Managing Director Hans Hate’s fleet has been upgraded further by the addition of three SAAB-Fairchild SF340s, a fifth Dornier, and four Chieftains; gone are the BN-2 Islanders. A. S. Nordsjofly is fully absorbed during 1987. Over the next two years, the company encounters rising financial difficulties. On February 1, 1988, after the company’s failure to win a government air ambulance contract or approval for higher fares, scheduled services are halted and most of the routes are turned over to Norsk Air, A. S.
Per Lie is named managing director in 1989. Severe cost cutting measures are put in place, including retirement of the entire fleet save two Dorniers and an Islander. These transport a total of 25,000 passengers on the year. Early in 1990, the company’s routes are transferred to Wideroe’s and Norving ceases operations in May.
NORWAY AIRLINES, A. S.: Norway (1991-1992). Apart of the Air Europe, Ltd. empire since 1989, Norway Airlines is reformed at Oslo in the spring of 1991 under the auspices of the Trans Nordic Airlines alliance, initially comprised of Sterling Airways, A. S. and Transwede,
A. B. Two Boeing 737-33As are acquired and employed to begin 12-times-a-week revenue services to London (LGW) during the summer. Between July and December, enplanements total 198,730.
In the spring of 1992, the 123-employee carrier applies for several new routes and trades in its Boeings for 2 machines leased from Tran-swede: a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 and an MD-87. As the world recession deepens, the airline encounters severe financial difficulties.
The new routes are not inaugurated and during the summer, only the MD-87 is flown. The company is unable to maintain its viability and closes its doors in bankruptcy on October 14. Norwegian authorities rebuff a December 10 purchase offer from Air Holland Charter, B. V., which has demanded, as part of its rescue package, that the 12 weekly roundtrips to London be maintained.
Efforts at refinancing continue throughout 1993-1994. Several of its aircraft will remain out under charter commitments for the next two years.
NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE, A. S.: P. O. Box 115, Oksenoyveien 10, Oslo, N-1331, Norway; Phone 47 67 583 777; Fax 47 67 583 277; Http://www. norwegian. no; Code BS; Year Founded 1993. Following the December 1992 bankruptcy of Busy Bee of Norway, A. S., a wholly owned subsidiary of the shipping conglomerate LG Braathens, S. A., the assets are reformed by the former regional’s management on January 23, 1993 and is given this new corporate identification, including livery and logo. Ownership is divided between Bjorn Kjos (45%), Svein Klev (20%), and the 5% shareholders Arne Jan Eggan, Bjorn Halvor Kise, and Oyvind Hovengen.
Having helped to raise Nkr 2 million in start-up capitalization, the former president, Einar Fjeldstad, remains as managing director. He oversees a workforce of 175, including 55 hired from the ashes of the predecessor airline, and a fleet of 5 Fokker 50s, 3 of which are wet-leased to Braathens SAFE, A. S., and 10 F.27s.
In addition to ad hoc charter and contract service flights, the company also undertakes replacement frequencies for Braathens SAFE, A. S., Wideroe Norskair, A. S., and KLM Cityhopper, B. V. Minority owner Klev becomes managing director in 1994. Revenues total Nkr 51.56 million and a net Nkr 4.74-million profit is reported.
Flights continue in 1995-1997. Revenues in these years total Nkr 86.63 million, Nkr 103.29 million, and Nkr120 million; profits are reported during the first two years noted, Nkr 1.06 million and Nkr 5.91 million, respectively. The workforce is reduced from 79 in 1995 to 77 in 1997.
The fleet in 1998 comprises 4 Fokker 50s. Destinations visited from Oslo include Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, Alesund, Kristiansund, and
Molde. The nation’s fourth largest airline makes plans to bid on the short-field contract, presently held by Wideroe’s Flyvelskap, A. S., when Norway’s department of transportation puts it up for bids on April 1, 2000.
During the weekend of January 15-18, 1999, company cabin crews strike for more pay. Approximately 50 departures each day are cancelled to South Norway and Trondheim, with approximately 1,500 passengers affected.
With the beginning of the summer schedule at the end of March, NAS continues to operate replacement flights for Braathens, A. S. in western Norway. Approximately 60 daily departures are operated to and between Kristiansand, Stavanger, Haugesund, Bergen, Molde, Kristiansund, and Trondheim.
During the summer, Helikopter Service, A. S. and its Tromso-based subsidiary Lufttransport, A. S. are taken over by Canadian Helicopter Corporation, Ltd. (CHC) . On November 1, daily Fokker 50 roundtrips commence between Bergen and Aberdeen, Scotland.
Enplanements for the year reach 500,000. A total of 17,670 replacement flights on behalf of Braathens, A. S. are completed.
The Braathens, A. S. replacement flights continue in 2000. Meanwhile, during the first half of the year, Canadian Helicopter Corporation, Ltd. undertakes a program of rationalization, selling off a number of noncore operations. Among these is Lufttransport, A. S., which is passed to Norwegian Air Shuttle, A. S. on July 14 in consideration of a sum of Nkr 85 million (C$14.3 million).
On August 22, a Fokker 50 is subleased from KLM Cityhopper, B. V. The TCAS sounds aboard an SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) B-737-683 from Oslo as it approaches Alesund on August 26 because it has, at the direction of ATC, entered onto the same flight path as a NAS Fokker 50 en route from Molde to Bergen. The jetliner is able to increase its height, avoiding the turboprop.
It is announced on November 17 that the company is operating Fokker 50 replacement services from Stockholm to Newcastle on behalf of Braathens, A. S. To accommodate the new offering, flights between Molde, Kristiansund, and Trondheim are cancelled while the return frequencies from Bergen to Molde and Trondheim and from Bergen to Haugesund are reduced to thrice daily.
World History
