Norwegian has announced plans to acquire regional carrier Wideroe for NOK 1,125 million (£83 million).
Wideroe was established in 1934 by Norwegian aviator Viggo Wideroe, and today serves around 40 Norwegian airports with a fleet of 43 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 and Embraer E190 aircraft. The airline recently launched flights between Stansted and Bergen.
Norwegian will acquire Wideroe from WF Holding, with the airline continuing to operate as a separate company with its own brand, organisation and headquarters in Bodo.
In a press release Norwegian said that the two carriers “have a very limited overlap on routes and complement each other well”. Out of a total of 107 routes in Norway (85 operated by Wideroe and 22 by Norwegian) only five are currently served by both airlines.
The acquisition builds on an interline agreement established by the two carriers last year, and comes just over two years after the Covid-19 pandemic forced Norwegian to abandon its long-haul network and focus on core Nordic markets.
Commenting on the news Stein Nilsen, CEO of Wideroe, said:
“Wideroe has a close to 90-year history, and we are the guarantor of a well-functioning route network in regional Norway. Although we have a solid footprint in Norway, we are smaller in an international context.
“The tax level for air travel in Norway is particularly high, and this, in combination with fierce international competition, makes it difficult for a smaller regional airline to persevere without a strong partner.
“We are therefore very happy to now join forces with Norwegian, and we are excited to get an industrial owner that aspires to develop both companies further. We are convinced that this solution is in the best interest of Widerøe, our employees, and not the least our customers.”
