OSLO, NORWAY: The airline Flyr’s first ever commercial flight took off from Oslo Airport on Wednesday at 11:30am, headed to the city of Tromsø. Minister of Transport Knut Arild Hareide took part in the celebration, a news release said.
“We have been looking forward to this day for months now. Today’s milestone would not have happened without our wonderful colleagues, partners, the authorities and of course our customers who have welcomed us with open arms. I would like to thank everyone who has cheered us on, and we look forward to welcoming new customers on board our domestic flights in Norway and to favorite destinations in Europe,” said CEO of Flyr, Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid.
Minister of Transport Knut Arild Hareide, founder Erik G. Braathen and CEO Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid of Flyr as well as Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor, took part in the historic event at Oslo lufthavn.
The Minister of Transport welcomes competition in the aviation industry in Norway.
“This is a new carrier, but it already has the most important ingredients. Many skilled employees with long experience from the aviation industry. Flyr is built on Norway’s model of good working conditions and the employees as an integral part of the team they are creating. This is the best day for me as the Minister of Transport responsible for aviation,” he said.
Flyr aims to reverse the current trend in aviation of increased use of outsourcing to low-cost countries. The company was founded during the corona pandemic with a clear vision to build an airline together with its employees:
“We are starting an airline from scratch and want to build it together with all our colleagues and the unions. An important step to achieve this is our model for profit sharing where all employees of Flyr will be included on equal terms, not just the management. This model has been very well received by our colleagues and for us this was the natural choice as we want to build the company together and share the profits of our joint efforts,” said Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid of Flyr.
Flyr will initially serve several cities in Norway, as well as a selection of favorite destinations in Europe, including Malaga, Alicante and Nice. The airline will expand the number of aircraft and destinations in line with demand.
The airline currently has more than 100 employees and will have about 350 employees by year-end.
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