Widerøe on strike, flights grounded

Flight attendants for the Norwegian commuter airline Widerøe went on strike Wednesday, stranding an estimated 11,000 passengers on the eve of the long Ascension Day holiday weekend. All flights by the carrier, which serves many small and often remote communities around the country, were grounded. The strike comes just days after it was announced that [...]

SAS keeps stake in Widerøe, for now

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will be raising needed cash by selling off its short-haul, Norwegian-based airline Widerøe, but won’t be cutting its ownership ties to the carrier just yet. SAS doesn’t intend to shed its stake in Widerøe completely until 2016. SAS reported just before the weekend that it had struck a deal to sell 80 [...]

SAS’ clipped wing delayed hundreds

A minor collision caused by an Oslo-bound Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight at the Newark airport serving New York has created more unwelcome problems for the struggling carrier. Not only did it disrupt travel plans for hundreds of passengers both in Norway and the US, it raises safety issues at a time when SAS already is [...]

Speculation flies over LOT takeover

Norwegian Air has confirmed that its chief executive Bjørn Kjos has attended a meeting with government authorities in Poland, but won’t say what was on their agenda. A Polish newspaper, however, reports that the meeting involved Norwegian’s possible takeover of the country’s national airline LOT. “I can confirm that Bjørn has been at a meeting [...]

More turbulence for local airlines

Norway’s airline industry was caught in more turbulence this week as the country’s labour organizations intensified their conflict with Ryanair, and the country’s own low-fare carrier Norwegian Air threatened to flag out aircraft and operations. A new low-fare airline, meanwhile, was ready for take-off. It was enough to leave airline analysts, executives, government officials and [...]

Airline flying high after stock sale

Norway’s low-fare airline Norwegian Air has been soaring on the Oslo Stock Exchange this week after former suitor Finnair sold off its stake. Its shares were up another 4.13 percent on Tuesday after a 5.5 percent jump on Monday. Finnair had been one of Norwegian’s largest shareholders after it bought into the low-fare carrier when [...]

Inspectors set to land on Ryanair

A special meeting among state aviation authorities, government officials and labour leaders has resulted in a warning that Irish airline Ryanair is about to get unannounced visits from state aviation and labour inspectors. Recent turbulence around Ryanair, however, hasn’t scared off passengers, with ticket sales soaring during the past week. “The inspection and examination of [...]

Pressure grows on Ryanair

Norwegian Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen says he will demand that employees of Irish low-fare airline Ryanair who are based in Norway must pay taxes to Norway and not to Ireland. The demand comes just as Norway’s national pilots’ organization is demanding an audit of the airline, and as the national heart and lung association was [...]

Ryanair boss denies ‘slave contracts’

Details of Ryanair’s so-called “slave contracts” for cabin crews based in Norway continued to emerge this week, revealing terms of employment far below Norwegian standards.  Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary vigorously defended the contracts live on national TV after their terms had been criticized in Parliament. He claims the criticism is aimed at diverting attention from [...]

State ‘unaware’ of Ryanair’s base

Norwegian authorities are promising an inspection of working conditions for Ryanair cabin crews based at the Rygge airport outside Moss, claiming they weren’t aware Ryanair had a base at the airport it uses for flights to the Oslo area. The base opened in March 2010, amidst much media coverage, and has been advertised on Ryanair’s own [...]

EasyJet takes off for Norway

EasyJet, the low-fare airline launched by the son of a Greek shipowner, will start flying a route between London and Bergen next month, and looks set to pose more serious competition to Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). EasyJet also is expected to expand its routes to and from Norwegian airports. “We’re looking at more routes to Norway,” [...]

Ryanair turbulence lands in Parliament

Ireland’s low-fare airline Ryanair faces more legal challenges in Norway, after two flight attendants announced they’re filing lawsuits over their working conditions and abrupt dismissals. Backed by Norwegian labour organization Parat, their complaints offer insight into how the airline treats those working for it and Parat firmly believes Ryanair has violated Norwegian law. Rival airline [...]

Norwegian Air’s Dreamliner delivery still unclear

Norwegian Air is encouraged by news that problems with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft it’s ordered may be resolved, but Norwegian officials still expect they’ll have to use leased Airbus aircraft when the airline launches its first flight to New York on May 30. The only message Norwegian had received by the weekend was [...]

More red ink at SAS

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), which announced the sale of its ground services division this week as part of a major cost-cutting effort, didn’t manage to head off more heavy losses in its own first quarter. The losses announced Friday, though, weren’t as bad as expected. SAS struck a deal to eventually sell off its SAS Ground [...]

New arrival routines clog Oslo airport

Thousands of airline passengers were hit with travel delays of as much as two hours on Thursday, reportedly because of new routines for airline arrivals into Oslo’s main airport at Gardermoen (OSL). Delays in incoming traffic led to delays for outgoing as well. “The airport is functioning as normal, but the problems are up in [...]

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