Wideroe FlUSyveselskap A/S Airlines

  About Widerøes Flyveselskap AS

Widerøes Flyveselskap AS, traded under the name of Widerøe, is a Norwegian airline which has its operations in the Nordic countries. It is the largest regional airline in the area and caters predominantly to the Nordic countries such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The airline serves over 41 domestic route destinations as well as six international route destinations. Widerøe is also one of the most profitable airline ventures of the Nordic countries with a turnover of a whopping 4 billion kr. The airline has the capacity to carry about 2.86 million passengers and also accommodates a staff strength of 3,000. Widerøe's services are mainly conducted from the airports in Northern Norway, from Sandefjord Airport in Torp and Bergen Airport in Flesland. Some of the other international services conducted by the airline are from Oslo/Gardermoen, Trondheim/Værnes, Kristiansand/Kjevik, Stavanger/Sola, Sandefjord/Torp, and Bergen/Flesland. Widerøe's headquarters is located Bodø, while a large part of the administrative activities is from the centre in Lysaker in Oslo.

As an airline that majorly caters to regional and domestic routes in Norway, Widerøes' main bases are also spread out in the country with its main bases being Oslo Airport in Gardermoen, Tromsø Airport in Langnes, Sandefjord Airport in Torp, Bergen Airport in Flesland and Bodø Airport. The operations of Widerøes are strategic and focussed on point-to-point transit. This essentially means that the airline does not have layovers or other stops but directly caters to the destination from the starting point of the journey. Widerøes has also accommodated interlining agreements and has also acquired EuroBonus, a frequent flyer mileage programme. The mileage programme is only available for its international flight operations. The airline came into existence in 1934 and was founded by a renowned Norwegian aviator, Viggo Widerøe. In the initial days of its establishment, the airline was involved in a bunch of activities related to general aviation. Two years later, Widerøe acquired seaplanes and scheduled flights of the same. The airline also accommodated ambulance flights from 1940. Between the 1940s and 1950s, Widerøe increased its seaplane routes and even established a fleet comprising of aircrafts such as de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter as well as Noorduyn Norseman.

Further, in 1968, Widerøe started providing services to STOLports that were built in the northern and western regions of Norway. Further, in the 1990s, the airline's fleet underwent a massive transformation as all its aircraft were replaced with Dash 8 aircraft. Eventually, in the 2000s, Widerøe was bought over by Scandinavian Airlines Group (SAS) which resulted in SAS Commuter's taking overall operations of northern Norway. However, that didn't end Widerøe as in 2010, the regional SAS services were taken over. In 2013, SAS Group ended up selling 80 per cent of its shares in Widerøe to WF Holding, a Norwegian investment company that is controlled by Torghatten ASA. By 2016, the SAS group further transferred the rest of its 20 per cent shares to WF Holding. With this move, SAS' ownership of Widerøe was terminated, and they went back to being regional air partners. Ever since the airline has regained its ownership, Widerøe has been expanding to the dedicated Nordic countries to enhance the regional and domestic route connectivity.

Fleet size of Widerøe

The current fleet size of Widerøe, as of 2020, stands at 45 aircraft. The airline only has versions of de Havilland Canada aircraft which include 23 De Havilland Canada DHC-8-100, three De Havilland Canada DHC-8-200, six De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300, ten De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 and three Embraer 190-E2. With a fleet that entirely comprises de Havilland Cana/Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, the airline was named the world's largest operator of the Dash 8-100 series. Widerøe has all variants of the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 series. The airline has reserved Dash 8-100, Dash 8-200 and Dash 8-300 for short runway airports within Norway where Widerøe is the primary airline operator. The main concern with Widerøe's fleet is the fact that the aircraft are ageing and need to be replaced. In fact, some of the aircraft manufacturers have even stopped manufacturing parts and specific aircraft that the airline is currently utilizing. A direct replacement for the fleet cannot be found, but a possible replacement with ATR can be accommodated. It might be tricky, but with STOL-modified turboprops, the engines could work. The airline is yet to make a statement on whether they intend to replace their fleet altogether and acquire newer and better-equipped aircraft to join its fleet.

Baggage Allowance

The baggage allowance policy of Widerøe is the same for the domestic route and international route operations. For checked baggage, the airline allows passengers flying from the economy, flex and full flex to carry one piece of checked baggage for free. The weight of the baggage should not be more than 23 kg. The airline has also shared the dimension that the baggage should comprise of. Passengers cannot carry dimensions of baggage that exceed 158 cm. In case passengers fail to follow this protocol, the airline will charge extra for the same. While the economy light and economy youth ticket type passengers can carry only one checked baggage, ticketholders of flex and full flex are allowed to carry two pieces of baggage along with them. For the hand baggage rules, Widerøe has stated that they will allow one baggage provision for carry-on luggage. However, the weight cannot exceed 8 kg, and dimensions should be within 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm. Along with the carry-on baggage, the airline also allows passengers of all ticket type to carry an accessory bag which should be small enough to fit under the front seat.

In-flight services

Widerøe's in-flight-services are quite basic as they are predominantly a regional airline. With a majority of its destinations within the borders of Norway and a few Nordic countries, the airline only uses narrow-body fleets. In-flight facilities that passengers can enjoy have been accommodated keeping these things in mind. The aircraft of Widerøe does have great lounge seats which recline. One of the highlights is the excellent legroom that the airline offers. Passengers can also avail their delicious in-flight snacks and beverages.

Popular routes and top cities for Widerøe

Widerøe is known for its excellent domestic route connectivity within Norway. The airline has its main domestic operations from the base at Sandefjord Airport in Torp. There are dedicated services that take place from the hub airports of Widerøe, including services that are provided close to five times in a day to destinations such as Trondheim, Stavanger and Bergen. It also has seasonal services to cities such as Tromsø and Bodø. Some of the top cities that Widerøe connects to include Alesund, Alta, Bodø, Berlevåg, Florø, Haugesund, Kirkenes, Kristiansund, Mosjøen, Oslo, Rørvik, Sandefjord, Stavanger, Tromsø, Vadsø and Vardø. As for its international operations, the airline caters to the destinations from five of its domestic airports to seven international airports spread across Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Specific airports in Norway are used by Widerøe to connect to other Scandinavian Airlines' hub at Denmark's Copenhagen Airport. The top international cities that Widerøe has flight services set for include Aberdeen, Billund, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Liverpool, London, Munich, United Kingdom and Stockholm. The airline shares codeshare agreements with a handful of airlines such as Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Finnair and BRA Braathens Regional Airlines.

Why travel by Widerøe?

Widerøe has received a few accolades for its exceptional performance and has also been awarded the public service obligation contracts, as handed out by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. As an airline with a strong social compass, Widerøe has involved itself in several relevant projects and charitable activities to help uplift the lives of others. Their social responsibility sphere is quite strong.

What makes Widerøe's services top-notch is how it is ideal for passengers who need all kinds of updates regarding the airline as well as the country. The airline's website has a dedicated updates section where all details regarding the airline's destinations, booking details and transportation booking pages are present. Further, Widerøe's official website also provides travel tips for first-time visitors. They have got details that are destination-specific and also have interesting tips with respect to the hotels and restaurants, along with tourist spots.

In case you are travelling to various destinations within the domestic route of Widerøe, booking a flight ticket from their website is quite convenient. All the details can be found on the website pertaining to the passenger's ticket. Similarly, the airline has also updated the website with a web check-in option. Passengers can get flight status and Widerøe flight schedules on the website too. It is quite the perfect place to get all updates on Widerøe and its list of destinations and services. Passengers who are also members of the airline's Eurobonus mileage programme are eligible for more benefits with respect to booking a Widerøe flight ticket for a cheaper cost, the luxury to avail airport lounge facilities and more such in-flight services and perks.