AIRLINE REVIEW
2 Visiting the Norwegian Aviation Museum , where Widerøe ’ s Hønningstad C5 polar can be observed . Developed as an ambulance plane in 1938 by engineers Birger Hønningstad and Viggo Widerøe , this aircraft was billed by the latter as the best plane he had ever flown .
3 LN-WIA , a 31-year-old Dash 8-100 in Bodø preparing for a new flight .
2
Widerøe ’ s 90 years of history alone could easily fill these pages . In its early years , the airline was based outside Oslo and operated air taxi , ambulance , school transport services , and aerial photo flights . After World War II , the focus shifted to northern Norway , where small airports were replacing seaplane operations . In 1969 , Viggo Widerøe ’ s daughter , Turi Widerøe , became the world ’ s first female commercial Pilot to work for a major airline . She soon became Captain on SAS ’ s Caravelle and DC-9 .
Widerøe started international service in April 1980 , operating on behalf of SAS . Following the 1994 market deregulation , Widerøe used the opportunity to open new international connections .
Today , the airline operates flights to 46 destinations , mostly domestic and served by its ubiquitous Dash 8s , whereas a few high-density
3
and international routes are served by Embraer E190-E2s . In 2023 , Widerøe carried more than 3.3 million passengers , equal to more than half of the Norwegian population .
Widerøe ’ s |
history |
is |
also |
closely linked to Norwegian |
politics |
and |
public |
service . |
Today , |
the |
airline |
operates |
many Public Service Obligations |
( PSOs ), accounting for slightly |
less than half of its network . Over the years , the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications has awarded several routes to Widerøe , allowing specific groups of passengers to receive discounts . PSOs divide Widerøe ’ s network into two main areas ; most flights connect cities with Trondheim and Mehamn , the northernmost airport in Norway and continental Europe .
46 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2024 www . airwaysmag . com