Vildanden (airline)

Infobox_Airline
airline=Vildanden
logo=Vildanden_Logo.pnglogo_size=250
IATA=2Q
ICAO=
callsign=
founded=November 23, 2004
headquarters=Skien, Norway
key_people=Tore Sundvor (chairman)
hubs=Skien Airport, Geiteryggen
focus_cities=
frequent_flyer=
lounge=
alliance=
fleet_size=2
destinations=5
website= http://www.vildanden.no

Vildanden is a regional airline flying from Skien Airport, Geiteryggen. It started flying on January 24, 2005, and now flies up to four times daily to Bergen Airport, Flesland with a 33-seater Saab 340 B wetleased from Avitrans. From February 26, 2007 the airline has leased an additional plane from Avitrans and offers daily flights to Stavanger. From March 18, 2007 the operations are expanded with 3 return flights a week to Stockholm-Bromma.

History

Vildanden was founded in 2004 by local investors with the purpose of running regular routes with Skien Airport, Geiteryggen as hub. The company is still locally owned. As a virtual airline Vildanden sells the tickets and carries the full financial risk while the aircraft is leased on an ACMI lease from Avitrans. Routes are operated with Avitrans codes (2Q). The airline is considering further expanding of operations in 2007.

The airline is named after the play "The Wild Duck" ("Vildanden" in Norwegian) written by Henrik Ibsen, born in Skien. The airline's slogan is "The shortest path between Ibsen and Grieg", a wordplay on the Bergen composer Edvard Grieg's and Ibsen's names.

Destinations

* Norway
** Bergen (Bergen Airport, Flesland)
** Skien (Skien Airport, Geiteryggen)
** Stavanger (Stavanger Airport, Sola)
* Sweden
** Stockholm (Stockholm-Bromma Airport)

Fleet

Vildanden started off with a Jetstream 31, seating 19, wetleased from Coast Air. On November 1, 2005 the airline switched to a 48-seat ATR-42. In 2006 the company changed to Saab 340 B and in 2007 an additional Saab 340 B joined the fleet. The livery on the aircraft is the company's web address on the side, while the tail fin bears the company's duck logo, all in blue.

External links

* [http://www.vildanden.no/ Vildanden]