Widerøe has a turnover of 3.5 billion kr; carries 2.8 million annual passengers; has 3,500 employees and performs 450 take-offs and landings each day.
During the 1940s and 1950s, the airline increased its seaplane routes and established a fleet based on de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter and Noorduyn Norseman aircraft.
From 1968, Widerøe started flying to STOLports in northern and western Norway using DHC-6 Twin Otters, and later also with Dash 7 aircraft.
[4] In July 2023, Norwegian Air Shuttle announced a deal to acquire Widerøe for 1.125 billion kr (US$104 million), which was finalised in January 2024.
During the winter, they stationed aircraft at mountain resorts and made revenue from flying skiers into the wilderness.
Aerial advertising flights were introduced, in which a company or product name was painted on an aircraft's fuselage, with a neon-light version underneath, and leaflets dropped mid-flight.
Following the outbreak of World War II, all pilots were conscripted into the military and there was a ban on civilian aviation.
Following the German invasion of Norway, many of Widerøe's pilots and aircraft were flown to Mjøsa where they served as part of the defence.
All civilian aircraft were grounded during the occupation, and German authorities demanded that magnetos and propellers be handed in.
In secret, the company also started building the Hønningstad C-5 Polar ambulance aircraft at Bogstad.
[10] After the liberation of Norway in 1945, there was still a flight ban, and the employees at Bogstad were hired by the Royal Norwegian Air Force at Oslo Airport, Fornebu.
In 1953, the company chose to differentiate and started production of emergency rafts; refrigerated garages in aluminium; and thermoelements for industry.
In 1954, the company received a subcontract from Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), the successor of DNL, to operate a seaplane route from Tromsø via Alta, Hammerfest, and Kirkenes to Vadsø.
Twenty-five such airports were served in a contract running from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2012, with the company having lost the bid for services to three.
From Sandefjord and Trondheim, Widerøe connects to Scandinavian Airlines' hub at Copenhagen Airport.
[16] Widerøe has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of February 2020):[citation needed] As of July 2024[update], Widerøe operates the following aircraft:[19] Between 2000 and 2018, the airline operated exclusively de Havilland Canada/Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft.
As of 2018, Widerøe was the world's largest operator of the Dash 8-100 series, after Piedmont Airlines retired their fleet.