The new Norwegian airline Flyr has entered the competition for Norwegian market with plans to start operating flights in early 2021.
On December 5, 2020, the company, owned by the former CEO of Braathens SAFE and board member of Norwegian Erik G. Braathen, announced its name and launched the website. Braathen first revealed his plans for the new airline in October 2020.
Branded by the name Flyr, which is the modern form of the Norwegian verb “fly”, the airline expects to start operating flights in the first quarter of 2021.
“The name reflects the simplicity of the company and the product we are building. We start Flyr with the goal of providing the simplest flight based on the needs of the passengers. The choice of name can challenge traditional rules and expectations, and in the same way we will be a challenger in aviation. Aircraft are what we do best and the only thing we have to do,” is written on the company’s website.
The airline has already submitted the application to the Norwegian aviation authorities for permission to operate commercial scheduled flights. Flyr plans to serve some domestic Norwegian routes and connect European cities. With a base in Oslo Airport (OSL), it aims to be in competition with airlines such as Norwegian, SAS and Wizz Air, according to Norwegian business newspaper Finansavisen.
30 employees are already working in the company. Many of them were hired from the struggling Norwegian Air Shuttle. Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid, the former vice president at Norwegian, will be the CEO of the new airline.
Norwegian Air Shuttle was one of the worst-hit airlines during the current pandemic. On November 18, 2020, an announcement on the Oslo Stock Exchange showed that share trading airlines’ shares were halted.