Widerøe's Flyveselskap ASA, is a regional airline based in Bodø Norway, established by Viggo Widerøe, Einar Isdahl and Arild Widerøe on 19 February 1934. The airline started off with a combination of scheduled, aerial photography and general aviation services using seaplanes. It lost its route concessions to Norwegian Air Lines in 1935 and was subsequently bought by that company, for whom it operated several minor routes. World War II hindered Widerøe from operating any flights between 1939 and 1945. After the war Widerøe started flying various seaplane routes that were too small for DNL and its successor, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). These routes were commonly flown using Noorduyn Norseman and de Havilland Canada Otter aircraft. During the 1960s Widerøe attempted operating Douglas DC-3s for charter flights, but soon closed those operations.
A national network of regional airports started being constructed in the late 1960s and Widerøe was awarded the right to operate the subsidized routes. From 1968 the airline introduced the Twin Otter, which it eventually operated a dozen of. From 1981 de Havilland Canada Dash 7s were introduced on the main routes. Widerøe experienced four fatal accidents between 1982 and 1993. Norsk Air was bought in 1989, after Fred. Olsen & Co. became a majority owner, and between 1993 and 2000 Widerøe replaced its entire fleet with the de Havilland Canada Dash 8. With the deregulation of the airline market in 1994, Widerøe started several international routes and from 1997 the regional network became subject to public service obligations (PSO). The SAS Group bought the airline between 1997 and 2002. Widerøe then gradually took over all the group's regional operations in Norway.
Establishment
Widerøe was established as a merger between two small airlines established during the 1930s. Lotsberg & Skappel, owned by Helge Skappel, Leiv Brun, Ditlef Smith and Erik Engnæs, operated a Gipsy Moth. Widerøe & Bjørneby, which was founded by Viggo Widerøe and Halvor Bjørneby, operated a Simmonds Spartan. The two started a cooperation between themselves and Norsk Aero Klubb to establish air shows in Eastern Norway. During the winter the aircraft were stationed at mountain resorts and generated revenue by flying skiers into the wilderness. Advertisement flights were introduced, where a company or product name was painted on the hull, with a neon-light version underneath, and leaflets dropped from the aircraft.Arnesen: 6–9
Viggo Widerøe traveled to the United States with NOK 25,000 in 1933 and flew back with a Waco Cabin. The same year the company bought five used de Havilland DH.60 Moths from the Norwegian Army Air Service and started aviation schools in Oslo and Bergen. Widerøe's Flyveselskap A/S was founded by Viggo Widerøe, Einar Isdahl and Arild Widerøe on 19 February 1934. Skis were equipped on the Cabins and Spartan during winter. The company also started ambulance flights. In April the company expanded their share capital from NOK 25,000 to NOK 65,000. The money was used to buy a seaplane variant Cabin and on 15 June it started flying the post route from Oslo via Kristiansand and Stavanger to Haugesund. During the summer the company arranged a summer camp for youth and bought a sail plane.Arnesen: 10–14
The company started a cooperation with four regional steam ship companies—Vesteraalens, Nordenfjeldske, Stavangerske and Arendalske. They established the company Norske Kystflyveruter On 21 November 1934 and applied for all concessions to fly postal services around the coast, as well as to Gothenburg in Sweden. At the same time, Fred. Olsen & Co. and Bergenske bought [Norwegian Air Lines (DNL) and applied for the same routes. Widerøe intended to use seaplanes, while DNL chose land planes. The government urged to companies to split the routes between them, but before the negotiations were completed, Nygaardsvold's Cabinet was appointed and granted DNL a ten-year concession for all domestic flights.Arnesen: 15–16
After losing all scheduled flights, Widerøe expanded to Northern Norway and started taxi flights. The company expanded into the cartography business in 135. In Oslo the company built a summer base for sea planes at Ingierstand in Oppegård Municipality, and a winter base for ski planes at Bogstadvannet. Around Bergen the airline landed at cruise ships and offer flights to tourists to see the fjords and mountains. In March 1936, 51 percent of the company was taken over by DNL as part of a private placement. This allowed DNL to transfer some of its concessions to Widerøe, who started flying Oslo–Lillehammer/Tretten–Gålå–Fefor–Tyinholmen/Nystuen, mainly aimed at tourists. A Bellanca Senior Pacemaker was bought for the route. Widerøe also wet operated DNL's route from Oslo to Gothenburg, the Tromsø–Honningsvåg route and Bergen–Vadheim–Slidre–Balestrand. These routes were partially flown using the Stinson Reliant.Arnesen: 16–22
Widerøe carried out a cartography expedition to Antarctica in 1937, financed by Lars Christensen. The airline carried out 44 flights along a section of coast, covering at least inland. The airline operated a route from Trondheim and Bodø between July and September. The base at Bogstad in Bergen was expanded, and the company was granted a monopoly on all aerial photography flights for the Mapping Authority. The Bogstad workshop and Birger Hønningstad started a cooperation in 1938 where Widerøe built the Hønningstad Norge planes. The same year, a plane went to Svalbard for cartographic work, and a route was started from Trondheim via Brønnøysund, Sandnessjøen, Bodø, Narvik and Harstad to Tromsø. For three months, the route was expanded to Kirkenes via Hammerfest and Vadsø.Arnesen: 24–29
Following the break-out of World War II on 2 September 1939, all pilots became conscripted and a ban on civilian aviation was enforced. DNL was worried about their steady financial losses and suggested liquidating Widerøe. DNL's shares were therefore transferred to the other shareholders on 5 December 1939. The following year Widerøe started flying ambulance flights for the military. The planes were leased from the airline while the crew were conscripted. Widerøe was also granted dispensation from the civil aviation ban to continue its school at Bogstad. Following the German invasion of Norway, many of Widerøe's pilots and aircraft were flown to Mjøsa where they served as part of the defence. All aircraft were grounded during the occupation and German authorities demanded that magnets and propellers be handed in. The workshop at Bogstad was kept busy with production of ambulance sleds for the Wehrmacht. In secret the company also started building a Hønningstad C5 Polar ambulance plane at Bogstad. The German authorities sealed the company's archives so only people with German permission had access to aerial photos.Arnesen: 35–39
Mixed operations The ban on civil aviation continued after the liberation of Norway in 1945 and the employees at Bogstad were hired by the Royal Norwegian Air Force at Oslo Airport, Fornebu. Widerøe's Piper Cubs were restored and the company bought a SAI KZ III and a Fairchild Cornell for scheduled services. A Hønninstad Norge B was completed and two Messerschmitt Taifuns for aerial photography were taken over from Luftwaffe. Widerøe bought three Fairchild Argus for aerial photography and received permission to fly from 2 February 1946. The same year the company's mechanical division was moved from Bogstad to Fornebu. A Republic Seabee was bought in 1947, but further purchases were not permitted by the authorities to keep down the outflow of currency. Forenede Industrier bought the majority of the company in 1947 and Viggo Widerøe was appointed managing director. The Hønninstad C.5 Polar was completed, but serial production for the Air Force did not commence as they instead opted for foreign-build aircraft financed through foreign aid from Canada.Arnesen: 42–48
The company was awarded concession for a route from Arendal to Oslo from 1948. Widerøe merged with Narvik-based Polarfly and changed its name to Widerøe's Flyveselskap og Polarfly A/S. The take-over included four Noorduyn Norseman craft. This made it possible for the new company to station two planes at Skattøra in Tromsø. The following year the airline started selling aerial images of farms to farm-owners. In 1950 Widerøe took over Stavanger–Haugesund–Bergen on behalf of DNL, and participated in an Antarctic expedition from November 1950 to February 1951. The same winter the company started flight training for the air force using Cornells. The company also won a contract to maintain all the aircraft of that type for the air force.Arnesen: 48–59
The Avro Anson V aerial photography aircraft was in 1951 replaced with four Airspeed Oxford from the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Starting 21 May, the airline commenced its first scheduled service in Northern Norway, from Narvik via Svolvær to Bodø. The following year the company established itself at Trondheim Airport, Lade with a Seabee taxi- and ambulance plane as well as school activity. The Northern Norway-route was expanded to also serve Gravdal. A de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver was bought in 1953 for use in Finnmark. In an effort to diversify its portfolio, Widerøe started manufacturing emergency rafts, refrigerated garages in aluminum and industrial thermo elements. The company signed a subcontract in 1954 with SAS, the successor of DNL, to operate a seaplane route from Tromsø via Alta, Hammerfest and Kirkenes to Vadsø, resulting in the airline purchasing its first de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. That year the airline had 21 mechanics in Oslo and 14 in Tromsø and signed a contract to service the Air Force' Norseman aircraft.Arnesen: 61–67
The company took into use two Lockheed 12As for aerial photography in 1956, one of which was used for work in Liberia and Syria. Widerøe also took over SAS' last Junkers Ju 52 and put it into service on the sea route Bodø–Harstad–Tromsø. Thus Widerøe operated all of SAS' former sea routes. After being issued a loan from SAS the following year, Widerøe was able increase its fleet of Otters for four and could retire the Ju 52. The company changed its name back to Widerøe's Flyveselskap A/S on 1 July 1958 and took over SAS' aviation school at Fornebu. That year both a Cessna 170 and a Cornell crashed, between them killing five people. The company bought a Douglas RB-26C Invader, which they used for aerial photography in Svalbard. The air force retired its last nine Norsemen in 1959, and Widerøe cooperated with Solbergfly to purchase these, paying NOK 125,000 for five aircraft. This proved too ambitious, so they sold two to Aero Sahara. SAS decided to reduce its routes in Finnmark in 1960, resulting in Widerøe retiring their Norsemen, leaving the airline exclusively with Otters for scheduled services.Arnesen: 71–82
The mechanical division was awarded the contract to build a base for the military on Jan Mayen in 1959. It was prefabricated at Fosser and completed in 1960. This division was spun off as Widerøe Industri in 1964. Helikopter Service used Widerøe for technical services until 1963, when it established its own division. Widerøe bought a Douglas DC-3 for charter traffic in 1962. The aircraft was prone with technical faults and was replaced by another DC-3 bought from Braathens SAFE in September. A Nord 260 Super Broussard, also used for charter traffic, was bought in December. By 1965 the airline had operated four different DC-3s and bought three Nords. Three primary airports opened in Finnmark in 1963, resulting in SAS terminating all of Widerøe's seaplane routes north of Tromsø. The Trondheim base was closed 31 December 1963, following the decision to redevelop the area for industry and only use the airport at Værnes.Arnesen: 83–88