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Airline opens up Norwegian crossing

UK regional airline Eastern Airways is to introduce a new daily weekday service from Newcastle to its twin town of Bergen on 5 October.

The launch of the route comes just a year after the withdrawal of the long-standing ferry service between Newcastle and Norway’s second largest city.

It is hoped that the Bergen route will appeal to North East businesses with Norwegian links, particularly those in the oil and gas industry and subsea sector.

Chris Holliday, Eastern Airways’ Chief Operating Officer, said: “This latest route will provide businesses, particularly in the oil and gas industry, with a vital city link and connection to this important export market.

“Norway is one of the world’s largest oil producers and Bergen is a key base for the global energy industry. This convenient, non-stop service is great news for north east travellers and is in direct response to demand from the business community.”

Mike Pedersen from the North East-based Norwegian Collaboration Centre, said: “Bergen has supplied the city of Newcastle upon Tyne with a Christmas tree for over 40 years and our North East business links with this trading city go back even further. Bergen provides the heliport base for the Norwegian continental shelf oil and gas industry and serves thousands of workers, many of whom originate from the North East of England.

“Business clusters in digital media, marine, biotechology and energy complement those of the North East. This new link from Eastern Airways will be of great benefit to North East England, giving access to the Bergen county of Hordaland, including the engineering regions of Stord and Haugesund further south.”

Bergen Airport Flesland is the main heliport for the Norwegian North Sea oil and gas industry, and is also home to the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the Royal Norwegian Navy.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .