FlyViking explained

Airline:FlyViking
Iata:VF
Icao:FVK
Callsign:BALDER
Founded:2016
Commenced:27 March 2017
Ceased:12 January 2018
Hubs:Tromsø-Langnes
Fleet Size:3
Destinations:11
Parent:Viking Air Norway AS
Headquarters:Lyngseidet, Troms, Norway
Key People:Ola Olsen (chairman), Heine Richardsen (CEO), Ola O.K Giæver (founder)
Website:flyviking.no

FlyViking AS was a short-lived, Norwegian regional airline with head office in Lyngseidet, Troms and based in Tromsø. FlyViking operated regional flights in the northern parts of Norway.

History

FlyViking was founded in 1989 as Lofotfly. It was renamed Fly Taxi Nord in 2000 and operated Piper PA-31 aircraft, on both cargo- and passenger air charter flights. In November 2015, Ola O.K Giæver Jr., a former employee of Norwegian airline Widerøe, bought the airline and later renamed it FlyViking.

In 2016 FlyViking lost the tender competition on a five-year contract by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications to operate 13 of Norway's Public Service Obligation routes starting in April 2017. FlyViking and Danish Air Transport lost the tender round, while Widerøe won all of the 13 PSO routes. On February 14, 2017, FlyViking was awarded a new air operator's certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway, the new AOC allowing FlyViking to transport more than 20 passengers on each flight. The airline operated its first scheduled service on 27 March 2017 from Tromsø to Hammerfest and Bodø using a Bombardier Dash 8-100.[1]

On 29 December 2017, FlyViking announced it would cease all operations on 12 January 2018 due to its financial situation.[2] All northern routes were closed that day. While the route between Ørland and Oslo are operated by Danish Air Transport/DOT LT for a new virtual airline created by parent firm Viking Air Norway AS. All flights out of Tromsø have been taken over by its competitor, Widerøe.

Destinations

The airline operated to the following destinations within Norway:[3]

CityAirportNotesRef
AltaAlta Airport
BodøBodø Airport
HammerfestHammerfest Airport
Harstad/NarvikHarstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
KirkenesKirkenes Airport
Oslo
StokmarknesStokmarknes Airport
TromsøTromsø AirportMain base
TrondheimTrondheim Airport, Værnes
VadsøVadsø Airport
ØrlandØrland AirportBase

Fleet

As of January 2018 FlyViking operates the following aircraft:[4]

Notes and References

  1. Viking Invasion. Airliner World. May 2017. 7.
  2. News: FlyViking legger ned driften. E24. 2017-12-29. nb.
  3. Web site: Home . flyviking.no.
  4. Web site: FlyViking Fleet Details and History.