A medium-sized passenger jet on a tarmac with a white top and tail, and a blue bottom. There is a Norwegian flag on the tail and "Braathens" written along the side"
Boeing 737-400s were used by Braathens after 1989; this one is pictured at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in 2006.

Braathens (until 1998 known as Braathens SAFE) was a Norwegian scheduled and charter airline that operated from 1946 to 2004. The airline used 53 airports serving 50 destinations, 23 of which were in Norway and 6 in Sweden. Braathens provided international services to 24 airports serving 22 cities in 17 countries. Seven of these cities are in Asia, the rest in Europe. In addition, Braathens served numerous destinations as both a regular and an ad-hoc charter airline. Braathens' main hubs were Oslo Airport, Fornebu (1949–98), Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (1998–2007) and Stockholm Arlanda Airport (1997–99). The main technical base was at Stavanger Airport, Sola.

The destinations in Asia were served from 1949 to 1954. Then, Braathens became a domestic airline, and did not have international scheduled services again until 1987, except during part of 1960. From 1994, the airline market was deregulated, and Braathens was free to operate domestically and within the European Economic Area. In 1997, it bought Transwede and started domestic services in Sweden, but these were terminated in 1999. The company merged with the Norwegian division of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 2004 to create SAS Braathens.

History

Braathens SAFE started as a charter airline, flying predominantly to the Far East and South America. In 1949, the airline was granted a concession on the Far East route that was flown until 1954, using Douglas DC-4s. The main airport in Norway was Oslo Airport, Fornebu,[1] and the main technical base was at Stavanger Airport, Sola.[2] From 1952 to 1960, the airline cooperated on flights to Reykjavík with the Icelandic airline Loftleidir.[3] Braathens SAFE started domestic services in 1951, using de Havilland Herons on a route from Oslo via Tønsberg to Stavanger.[4] Services from Oslo to Trondheim were introduced in 1953.[5] This was supplemented with stops in Farsund and Kristiansand in 1955, and Hamar, Røros and Notodden the following year.[6] However, with the delivery of the Fokker F-27s, many of the smaller airports were cut from the service.[7] The airline started flying from Oslo to Ålesund and along the West Coast in 1958.[8] During 1960, the airline flew a single season to Sandefjord and Aalborg, Denmark.[9] Services to Bodø and Tromsø started in 1967,[10] and Boeing 737-200s and Fokker F-28s were taken into use two years later.[11] Kristiansund was added as a destination in 1970 and Molde two years later.[12] The F-28s were retired in 1986,[13] while services to Longyearbyen started the following year.[14]

A white, medium-sized jet aircraft with a red and blue cheatline on a tarmac. It has the name "Braathens SAFE" on the side and a Norwegian flag on the tail
The Boeing 737-200 was the main domestic workhorse during the 1970s and 80s. Pictured at EuroAirport in 1976.

From 1987, Braathens SAFE was allowed to make international scheduled flights on certain routes. From 1989 to 1993, it opened routes to Billund, Malmö, Newcastle, London and Murmansk.[15] In the same period, the airline replaced its fleet with Boeing 737-400 and -500s.[13] The Norwegian airline market was deregulated in 1994, and Braathens SAFE was free to fly on any domestic and international route; it immediately opened routes to Harstad/Narvik.[16] Within two years, international routes had been started to Jersey, Nice and Rome.[17] In 1996, Braathens bought Sweden's second-largest airline, Transwede Airways, and started a route to Stockholm.[18] The following year, Transwede was merged into Braathens SAFE, and the airline took over its domestic routes to Halmstad, Jönköping, Luleå, Sundsvall and Umeå, using Transwede's Fokker 100s.[19] In 1997, KLM bought part of Braathens SAFE, and the two started a partnership; Braathens SAFE started flying from several Norwegian cities to KLM's hub in Amsterdam.[20][21]

Boeing 737-700s were taken into use starting in 1998,[22] and the company rebranded from Braathens SAFE to Braathens.[23] That year also saw the opening of Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, which increased Braathens number of slots and allowed them to start a new route to Haugesund.[24] Braathens started a costly price war with its competitors Color Air and SAS;[25] after Color Air went bankrupt in 1999, Braathens started terminating routes, and the Swedish division was merged into the subsidiary Malmö Aviation.[26] Málaga and Alicante were introduced as destinations in 2000.[27] The next year, Braathens was bought by the SAS Group,[28] and in 2002, the routes were split between SAS and Braathens. The latter kept only four international routes, but was granted new services to Northern Norway: Alta, Bardufoss, Kirkenes and Lakselv.[29] Braathens was merged with SAS to create SAS Braathens in 2004.[30]

Destinations

A peninsula with two runways in the middle, surrounded by water above, below and to the left; to the right and upwards is a city
Côte d'Azur International Airport was first served by Braathens after airline deregulation in 1994.
The entrance to a small airport terminal, mostly with one story, but also with a control tower to the right and a second story in the middle. On the second story is a sign with "Avinor" and "Alta lufthavn", while above the door it says "Departures"
Alta Airport was first served by Braathens in 2002, when Braathens took over the route from SAS.
A jet passenger aircraft on the left of the image parked at a glass jetbridge that runs on the right of the image. The plane is surrounded by three aircraft handling cars
A Braathens Boeing 737-500 at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Braathens' Norwegian hub from 1998 to 2004
A short, asphalted runway runs though the middle, surrounded by green fields. To the left is a taxiway, and at the top of the runway is a small terminal building
Tønsberg Airport, Jarlsberg, was dropped from the schedules because the runway was too short for the Fokker F-27.
A large, square, two-story, gray building with "T2" on a sign, in front of a street. In the background is a control tower
Alicante International Airport became a scheduled destination in 2000, having been served by charter flights four decades.
A mostly yellow airport terminal seen from the apron; furthest away there are two jet planes parked
Braathens started flights from Oslo to Malmö Airport in 1991.
Inside a terminal, with a multi-story glass wall to the left; the open space is filled with signs, chairs, small store and amenities
Terminal at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, Braathens' Swedish hub from 1997 to 1999

The list shows airports that have been served by Braathens as part of its scheduled services between 1949 and 2004. It excludes airports where Braathens only operated charter services. The list includes the city, country, the codes of the International Air Transport Association (IATA airport code) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO airport code), and the airport's name, with the airline's hubs marked. The list also contains the beginning and end year of services, with destinations marked if the services was not continual. IATA and ICAO codes are not given for airports which were closed or converted to general aviation before being issued such codes.

The list includes destinations subcontracted to Busy Bee and later Norwegian Air Shuttle and operated as part of Braathens' network. It also includes Braathens' two subsidiaries in Sweden—Braathens Sverige and Malmö Aviation—although airports only served by Malmö Aviation are marked.[31] Braathens Helikopter operated to seven offshore oil platforms in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea—these are not included in the list.[32][33][34][35]

† Hub
* Non-continuous service
# Only served by Malmö Aviation
City Country IATA ICAO Airport Begin End Ref
Aalborg DenmarkAALEKYTAalborg Airport19601960[9]
Alta NorwayALFENATAlta Airport20022004[29]
Ålesund NorwayAESENALÅlesund Airport, Vigra19582004[8]
Alicante SpainALCLEALAlicante International Airport20002004[29][36]
Amsterdam NetherlandsAMSEHAMAmsterdam Schiphol Airport1949*2002*[1][29]
Bangkok ThailandBKKVTBDDon Mueang International Airport19491954[1]
Barcelona SpainBCNLEBLBarcelona International Airport20002004[29][36]
Bardufoss NorwayBDUENDUBardufoss Airport20022004[29]
Basra IraqBSRORMMBasra International Airport19491954[1]
Bergen NorwayBGOENBRBergen Airport, Flesland19582004[8]
Bodø NorwayBOOENBOBodø Airport19672004[10]
Bombay IndiaBOMVABBChhatrapati Shivaji International Airport19491954[1]
Billund DenmarkBLLEKBIBillund Airport19892002[15][29]
Cairo EgyptCAIHECACairo International Airport19491954[1]
Farsund NorwayFANENLIFarsund Airport, Lista19551992[6][37]
Geneva SwitzerlandGVALSGGGeneva Cointrin International Airport19491954[1]
Gothenburg SwedenGOTESGGGöteborg Landvetter Airport#19982004[31]
Halmstad SwedenHADESMTHalmstad Airport19972004[19]
Hamar NorwayHMRENHAHamar Airport, Stafsberg19561958[6]
Harstad/Narvik NorwayEVEENEVHarstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes19942004[16]
Haugesund NorwayHAUENHDHaugesund Airport, Karmøy19842004[24][37]
Hong Kong Hong KongHKGVHHHKai Tak Airport19491954[1]
Jönköping SwedenJKGESGJJönköping Airport19971999[19]
Karachi PakistanKHIOPKCJinnah International Airport19491954[1]
Kirkenes NorwayKKNENKRKirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen20022004[29]
Kolkata IndiaCCUVACCNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport19491954[1]
Kristiansand NorwayKRSENCNKristiansand Airport, Kjevik19552004[6]
Kristiansund NorwayKSUENKBKristiansund Airport, Kvernberget19702004[38]
Lakselv NorwayLKLENNALakselv Airport, Banak20022004[29]
London United KingdomLCYEGLCLondon City Airport#19982004[31]
London United KingdomLGWEGKKLondon Gatwick Airport19921998[15][39]
London United KingdomSTNEGSSLondon Stansted Airport19982002[39]
Longyearbyen NorwayLYRENSBSvalbard Airport, Longyear19872002[14][29]
Luleå SwedenLLAESPALuleå Airport19971999[19]
Málaga SpainAGPLEMGMálaga Airport20002004[29]
Malmö SwedenMMXESMXMalmö Airport19912004[15]
Molde NorwayMOLENMLMolde Airport, Årø19722004[40]
Murmansk RussiaMMKULMMMurmansk Airport19932000[15][36]
Newcastle United KingdomNCLEGNTNewcastle Airport19912002[15][29]
Nice FranceNCELFMNCôte d'Azur International Airport19962004[29]
Notodden NorwayNTBENNONotodden Airport, Tuven19561958[6]
Oslo NorwayFBUENFBOslo Airport, Fornebu†19491998[8][24]
Oslo NorwayOSLENGMOslo Airport, Gardermoen†19982004[24]
Reykjavík IcelandKEFBIKFKeflavík International Airport19521961[3]
Rome ItalyFCOLIRFLeonardo Da Vinci International Airport1949*2002*[1]
Røros NorwayRRSENRORøros Airport1957*1999*[6][36]
Saint Helier JerseyJEREGJJJersey Airport19962002[17][29]
Sandefjord NorwayTRFENTOSandefjord Airport, Torp1960*1999*[9][41]
Stavanger NorwaySVGENZVStavanger Airport, Sola19492004[1]
Stockholm SwedenARNESSAStockholm-Arlanda Airport†19952000[19]
Stockholm SwedenBMAESSBStockholm-Bromma Airport#19982004[31]
Sundsvall SwedenSDLESNNSundsvall-Härnösand Airport19971999[19]
Tønsberg Norway–ENJBTønsberg Airport, Jarlsberg19521958[4][7]
Tromsø NorwayTOSENTCTromsø Airport19672004[10]
Trondheim Norway––Trondheim Airport, Lade19531956[42]
Trondheim NorwayTRDENVATrondheim Airport, Værnes19562004[42]
Umeå SwedenUMEESNUUmeå Airport19971999[19]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Tjomsland: p. 45
  2. ↑ Tjomsland: 48
  3. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 75–83
  4. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 64–65
  5. ↑ Tjomsland: pp. 66–67
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tjomsland: pp. 104–108
  7. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 118–120
  8. 1 2 3 4 Tjomsland: p. 112
  9. 1 2 3 Tjomsland: p. 121
  10. 1 2 3 Tjomsland: 173–178
  11. ↑ Tjomsland: pp. 180–182
  12. ↑ Tjomsland: pp. 183–185
  13. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 364–365
  14. 1 2 Tjomsland: p. 293
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tjomsland: pp. 295–304
  16. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 340–341
  17. 1 2 Lillesund, Geir (18 June 1996). "Braathens vil konkurrere med SAS på Stockholm-ruten" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  18. ↑ Guhnfeldt, Cato (27 June 1996). "Braathens-raid i Sverige". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 3.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Braathens kjøper Transwede" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 25 June 1996.
  20. ↑ Sæthre, Lars N. (9 August 1997). "Braathens og KLM tar av". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 39.
  21. ↑ Ottesen, Gregers (14 February 1998). "Hard luftkamp". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). p. 7.
  22. ↑ Sæthre, Lars N. (4 February 1997). "Braathens kjøper fly for 1,5 milliarder". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 46.
  23. ↑ Lillesund, Geir (3 March 1998). "Braathens med to klasser og nytt emblem" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Sæthre, Lars N. (12 March 1998). "Priskrig til glede for passasjerene: Kapasitetsboom på Gardermoen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 46.
  25. ↑ "Color-avviklingen: - Som en bombe på de ansatte" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 27 September 1999.
  26. ↑ Dahl, Flemming (29 October 1999). "Braathens kutter, Widerøe utvider". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). p. 4.
  27. ↑ Lillesund, Geir (14 June 2000). "Slutt for Braathens på Stockholm" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  28. ↑ Meyer, Henrik D. (23 October 2001). "SAS får kjøpe Braathens". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Larsen, Trygve (1 February 2002). "Lander på delt løsning". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). p. 4.
  30. ↑ Lillesund, Geir (10 March 2004). "Lindegaard: - Vi plukker det beste fra SAS og Braathens" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. p. 24.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Braathens med 25 pst. av det svenske innenriks-marked" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 17 August 1998.
  32. ↑ Bø, Trond (3 September 1990). "Klar til luftkamp om offshorekunder". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 14.
  33. ↑ Bø, Trond (11 September 1991). "Øket konkurranse i Nordsjøen: Braathens vant helikopterkamp". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 40.
  34. ↑ "Storkontrakt for fly". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 29 June 1991. p. 10.
  35. ↑ "Braathens Helikopter får storkontrakt med BP" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 10 September 1991.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Lillesund, Geir (15 November 2000). "Braathens fortsetter omleggingen - kutter kortruter" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  37. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 268–277
  38. ↑ Tjomsland: pp. 188–189
  39. 1 2 Ottesen, Gregers (8 January 1998). "Braathens satser tungt på London". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). p. 6.
  40. ↑ Tjomsland: 192
  41. ↑ Lillesund, Geir (27 October 1999). "Braathens reduserer - og SAS følger etter" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  42. 1 2 Tjomsland: pp. 116–117

Bibliography

  • Tjomsland, Audun & Wilsberg, Kjell (1996). Braathens SAFE 50 år: Mot alle odds (in Norwegian). Oslo: Braathens SAFE. ISBN 82-990400-1-9.
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