Det Norske Luftfartrederi
Encyclopedia
Aktieselskapet Det Norske Luftfartsrederi or DNL was Norway
's first scheduled airline, founded in 1918 and operated services between Bergen
, Haugesund
and Stavanger
in 1920. It operated Supermarine Channel flying boat
s. It was also one of the seven founding member of the International Air Traffic Association, the predecessor of the International Air Transport Association
.
on 2 March, where scheduled services to England, Denmark and the whole coast were presented. Travel times were to be 4 hours and 30 minutes from Oslo (at the time called Kristiania) to Copenhagen
, to Bergen
in 2 hours and 45 minutes, to Trondheim
in 4 hours and to Kirkenes
in 17 hours. A route to Stavanger
to Aberdeen
would be done in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
From about the 19 March, the airline had established offices in Prinsensgate in Oslo. It had hired Wilhelm Keilhau as managing director, and Gyth Dehli and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen
as technical consultants. The company had its founding meeting on 25 December 1918, but was not registered until 16 March 1920. In 1918, the company applied for a government grant of NOK 1.3 million to start a postal route between Oslo and Kristiansand, and an international route from Oslo via Gothenburg
to Copenhagen. The company was granted NOK 60,000 to operate a trial route between Bergen, Haugesund
and Stavanger. On 28 August 1919, DNL was one of seven airlines which founded the International Air Traffic Association at a meeting in The Hague
.
DNL planned to use the island Lindøya
outside Oslo as its base, and applied for a 99-year lease from the Oslo Port Authority. They recommended that the application be denied, since it would interfere with ship traffic and they were already negotiations with the state to purchase the island. Yet, the airline was allowed to operate temporarily from Lindøya. In Stavanger, the airline bought land off Hafrsfjord
.
The company ordered three Supermarine Channel flying boat
s. The delivery of the planes were delayed and not until 16 August did operations commence, then with Friedrichshafen FF.49
C planes owned and operated by A/S Aero
. Later, DNL used its ownd planes and crew. One of the aircraft crashed, but without fatalities. On one flight, a drunk passenger tried to choke the pilot Riiser-Larsen, but he managed to struggle off the passenger. Operations were terminated on 15 September. Several problems were encountered, due to weather conditions, mechanical failures of the aircraft, local strikes and delivery problems, so the regularity achieved was a disappointing 94%. Most flights were made with mail only, and only a total of 64 passengers were carried. Additionally the anticipated increase in freight volume did not happen, and towards the end, only around 300 letters were carried per flight.
The company was liquidated on 13 December 1920, although this was not completed until 5 June 1923. The owners received 72% of the share capital. Keilhau stated in the 1950s that until then, the company had been the most profitable airline in Norwegian history.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's first scheduled airline, founded in 1918 and operated services between Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
and Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
in 1920. It operated Supermarine Channel flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s. It was also one of the seven founding member of the International Air Traffic Association, the predecessor of the International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
.
History
The first idea to launched a scheduled airline in Norway was launched at a board meeting in Norsk Aero Klubb (at the time called ) on 27 February 1918. An invitation to purchase shares for NOK 5 million was issues, and by March NOK 3.3 million had been raised. The idea was launched to the public in Tidens TegnTidens Tegn
Tidens Tegn is a former Norwegian newspaper, issued in Oslo from 1910 to 1941.-Editors:The founder and first editor-in-chief of Tidens Tegn was Ola Thommessen, who edited the newspaper until 1917. Thommessen had recently left the editor chair of Verdens Gang in protest, bringing much of Verdens...
on 2 March, where scheduled services to England, Denmark and the whole coast were presented. Travel times were to be 4 hours and 30 minutes from Oslo (at the time called Kristiania) to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in 2 hours and 45 minutes, to Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
in 4 hours and to Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
in 17 hours. A route to Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
to Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
would be done in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
From about the 19 March, the airline had established offices in Prinsensgate in Oslo. It had hired Wilhelm Keilhau as managing director, and Gyth Dehli and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen
Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen
Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen was a Norwegian aviation pioneer, polar explorer and businessman. Among his achievements, he is generally regarded as the founder of the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
as technical consultants. The company had its founding meeting on 25 December 1918, but was not registered until 16 March 1920. In 1918, the company applied for a government grant of NOK 1.3 million to start a postal route between Oslo and Kristiansand, and an international route from Oslo via Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
to Copenhagen. The company was granted NOK 60,000 to operate a trial route between Bergen, Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
and Stavanger. On 28 August 1919, DNL was one of seven airlines which founded the International Air Traffic Association at a meeting in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
DNL planned to use the island Lindøya
Lindøya
Lindøya is a small island located in the Oslofjord, just south of central Oslo. Administratively it belongs to the borough of Gamle Oslo.In 1920, Lindøya was the Oslo base for the pioneer Norwegian airline, Det Norske Luftfartrederi, and its seaplanes. The operation only lasted until the autumn of...
outside Oslo as its base, and applied for a 99-year lease from the Oslo Port Authority. They recommended that the application be denied, since it would interfere with ship traffic and they were already negotiations with the state to purchase the island. Yet, the airline was allowed to operate temporarily from Lindøya. In Stavanger, the airline bought land off Hafrsfjord
Hafrsfjord
Hafrsfjord is a fjord or bay located in the municipalities of Stavanger and Sola in Norway. Stretching 9 kilometres. Hafrsfjord fjord is bounded by Tananger, Sola and Madla...
.
The company ordered three Supermarine Channel flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s. The delivery of the planes were delayed and not until 16 August did operations commence, then with Friedrichshafen FF.49
Friedrichshafen FF.49
|-See also:...
C planes owned and operated by A/S Aero
A/S Aero
A/S Aero was a Norwegian airline company founded by Tancred Ibsen in January 1920. The company was financed by Tancred Ibsen's uncle, businessman Einar Bjørnson, and two shipowners...
. Later, DNL used its ownd planes and crew. One of the aircraft crashed, but without fatalities. On one flight, a drunk passenger tried to choke the pilot Riiser-Larsen, but he managed to struggle off the passenger. Operations were terminated on 15 September. Several problems were encountered, due to weather conditions, mechanical failures of the aircraft, local strikes and delivery problems, so the regularity achieved was a disappointing 94%. Most flights were made with mail only, and only a total of 64 passengers were carried. Additionally the anticipated increase in freight volume did not happen, and towards the end, only around 300 letters were carried per flight.
The company was liquidated on 13 December 1920, although this was not completed until 5 June 1923. The owners received 72% of the share capital. Keilhau stated in the 1950s that until then, the company had been the most profitable airline in Norwegian history.