UK carrier bmi regional continues to expand its activities in Norway and support for the oil and gas industries with confirmation that it will introduce a new connection between Aberdeen in North East Scotland and the Norwegian capital Oslo. This will be the first non-stop connection on the route since March 2010 when it Eastern Airways ended its own operations.

This latest network expansion from bmi regional follows just weeks after the carrier launched a direct, scheduled service between the Norwegian city of Kristiansund and Aberdeen and just days after it was revealed that bmi regional would be basing a single Embraer ERJ-135 in the Scandinavian country to introduce domestic services between Stavanger and Harstad and Tromsø, in the north of Norway, from January 2014 – becoming the first non-Scandinavian airline to launch scheduled domestic flights in Norway and directly linking the country’s two fastest growing regions for the first time.

The new Aberdeen – Oslo service will be inaugurated from the start of the winter schedules on October 28, 2013 and will be operated on a six-times weekly basis using a 37-seat ERJ-135. Demand from the oil and gas industry will drive the route and dialogue with key operators has again been fundamental to the decision to provide direct access to the Norwegian capital, according to bmi regional, but it also anticipates notable leisure demand to sample one of Scandinavia’s most dynamic and cultural cities.

“We are delighted to be launching a direct scheduled service between the cities of Aberdeen and Oslo. Both locations are strategic hubs for oil and gas activity which will offer significant time and efficiency savings for businesses in the North-east of Scotland and Norway,” said Cathal O’Connell, chief executive, bmi regional.

“bmi regional’s Oslo route is further affirmation of our commitment to work with the energy industry here to deliver the connectivity that supports business growth. The support and engagement we have received from the oil and gas industry in Scotland and in Norway is very encouraging. We are committed to developing a long term, strategic presence in these markets,” he added.

New air routes such as this are key to increasing Scotland’s global connectivity and developing business opportunities for companies. In particular, there is significant potential in Norway its’ oil and gas supply chain to export products and services. However, similarly, the new route will also support Norwegian companies looking to develop investment opportunities in Scotland.

According to Steve Harris, chief executive, VisitAberdeen, there are also opportunities to benefit the inbound leisure market and bring additional traffic across from Norway to Scotland. “We are delighted that the opportunities to attract tourists to Aberdeen continues to grow. Aberdeen is fast becoming recognised as Scotland’s weekend city, where great value exists in hotels and elsewhere. The timings of this service will help us to develop that market,” he explained.

Norway is an important trading partner for the North-east Scotland business community and especially those in the oil and gas sector but it is three and half years since the last non-stop flights were offered from Aberdeen to Norwegian capital. These were operated by UK carrier Eastern Airways between January 2009 and March 2010 initially on an up to daily basis but frequencies were quickly cut to a weekly schedule. Before Eastern, Aberdeen-based City Star Airlines offered services on the route between May 2005 and February 2008 using a Dornier 328.

“Oslo is a key location for the North-east business community as well as being a great leisure route for both inbound and outbound travellers. It will be great to see Aberdeen linked again with the Norwegian capital,” said Carol Benzie, commercial director, Aberdeen International Airport.

In the table below we highlight bi-directional O&D demand between Aberdeen and Oslo over the past ten years, clearly showing the peaks in demand and stimulated market while direct air services are being offered and an up-turn in demand over the past two years. Last year the market was dominated by SAS Scandinavian Airlines with a 72.6 per cent share of the O&D demand, the majority of which was routing via Stavanger and Bergen.