West Norway Airlines
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| Founded | 1946 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1957 |
| Operating bases | Bergen Airport, Sandviken |
| Headquarters | Bergen, Norway |
Vestlandske Luftfartsselskap A/S, trading internationally as West Norway Airlines, was a airline based in Bergen, Norway, which operated from 1946 to 1957. The company operated almost entirely a fleet of seaplanes out of its base at Bergen Airport, Sandviken. From 1951 it operated scheduled services along the West Coast as summer-only services.
The airline started off as a general aviation operator, mostly operating Republic RC-3 Seabees. The airline took over the Bergen to Trondheim route in 1951, at which time it also bought two Short Sealands. The route and intermediate stops in Ålesund, Molde and Kristiansund. The following year the airline also started flying from Stavanger via Haugesund to Bergen. Bergen Airport, Flesland opened in 1955, displacing the need for seaplanes on some of the routes. However, the airline flew the Bergen to Stavanger route with a wheeled de Havilland Heron. The Haugesund service closed in 1956 and the northern route closed the following year in anticipation of the opening of Ålesund Airport, Vigra.
The airline was established in Bergen in 1946. The first aircraft were operational in 1948, consisting of three three-passenger Republic RC-3 Seabees and a one-passenger Luscombe 8A Silvaire. The airline was initially engaged in various general aviation activities. An important task was air ambulance services. However, the airline never signed a fixed contract with the health authorities and had to get every trip refunded on a case for case basis form the National Insurance Administration.
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