Trans Polar
| Founded | 1970 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 16 May 1971 |
| Operating bases | Oslo Airport, Fornebu |
| Fleet size | 3 |
| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
| Key people | Thor Tjøntveit (founder) |
Trans Polar A/S was a Norwegian charter airline which operated between June 1970 and May 1971. The airline operated a fleet of three Boeing 720s and had a close cooperation with Aer Lingus for maintenance. Trans Polar was established by Thor Tjøntveit, although he never held any management positions. The airline was headquartered in Oslo, although most of the flights operated out of Copenhagen, Denmark, which was the base of Spies Rejser, Trans Polar's largest customer. The airline held operating permission from Norway and Denmark, but not Sweden; nevertheless, they operated several illegal flights out of .
Trans Polar ceased operations on 16 May 1971 when Boeing Commercial Airplanes seized one of their aircraft for failing to pay installments. After the company's bankruptcy on 23 June, the police undertook a seven-year investigation of the company. The airline had operated eight months with insolvency; with a debt of 33 million Norwegian krone (NOK) it was at the time the largest bankruptcy case in Norwegian history. Tjøntveit was acquitted of charges of deceit in 1978.
Trans Polar was a continuation of Tjøntveit's United States-based Trans Polar International, a retailer of general aviation aircraft. Born in Grimstad, Tjøntviet emigrated to the US in 1961 after receiving his pilot's license and became an American citizen in 1965. Trans Polar International agreed on 25 November 1969 to purchase two Boeing 720 jetliners from Eastern Air Lines. The original plans called for transporting new general aviation aircraft to customers around the world. Tjøntveit stated that the first aircraft would be delivered in May 1970 and followed by a second in December, and that Erik Sandberg would start working as vice president in May. The airline planned to hire ten pilots and had signed an agreement with Pan Am for ground handling services. Trans Polar International stated they had made agreements to operate the aircraft transport flights for at least five years.
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