Det Norske Luftfartsrederi

Det Norske Luftfartsrederi, commonly abbreviated DNL and formally known as Aktieselskapet Det Norske Luftfartsrederi, was an early Norwegian airline established during the formative period of commercial aviation after the First World War. Founded in 1918, it was created to develop scheduled passenger, postal and freight services linking Norway's major coastal cities with domestic and international destinations. Its plans reflected the ambitions of the period: proposed routes included Oslo, then known as Kristiania, to Copenhagen, Bergen, Trondheim, Kirkenes, Gothenburg, Stavanger and Aberdeen. The company hoped that aircraft could significantly reduce travel times in a country whose geography made coastal and inland transport slow and difficult. The initiative emerged from discussions at Norsk Aero Klubb, then called Norsk Luftseilandsforening, where the idea of a scheduled Norwegian airline was presented in February 1918. A share issue sought NOK 5 million in capital, and approximately NOK 3.3 million had been subscribed by March. DNL established offices in Oslo and appointed Wilhelm Keilhau as managing director. Gyth Dehli and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen served as technical advisers, helping develop the proposed operating concept and aircraft arrangements. Although the company was founded at a meeting on 25 December 1918, formal registration did not take place until 16 March 1920. DNL initially sought state support for a postal route from Oslo to Kristiansand and an international connection through Gothenburg to Copenhagen. The government instead provided a smaller grant of NOK 60,000 for a trial coastal route between Bergen, Haugesund and Stavanger. The airline planned to use Lindøya, outside Oslo, as its principal base and was temporarily permitted to operate there despite concerns from the Oslo Port Authority about the island's relationship to harbor traffic. It also acquired land near Hafrsfjord in Stavanger for aviation facilities. The company ordered three Supermarine Channel flying boats, but delivery delays prevented the intended fleet from being available when operations were scheduled to begin. Service eventually commenced on 16 August 1920 using Friedrichshafen FF.49C aircraft owned and operated by A/S Aero. DNL later used its own aircraft and crews. The coastal service was affected by poor weather, mechanical problems, aircraft-delivery delays and local labor disruptions. One aircraft crashed without fatalities, and an unusual onboard incident occurred when an intoxicated passenger attempted to choke pilot Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen, who was able to subdue him. Operations ended on 15 September 1920. Although reported regularity was approximately 94 percent, the service carried very little commercial traffic: most flights transported mail, only 64 passengers were carried in total, and freight volumes failed to meet expectations. Toward the end of the trial, flights carried only about 300 letters each. These weak results, combined with the broader financial and operational difficulties of early aviation, led to liquidation on 13 December 1920. The liquidation process was not completed until 5 June 1923, and shareholders recovered 72 percent of the share capital. DNL's operating life was brief, but its institutional importance was greater than its commercial results suggest. On 28 August 1919, it joined six other airlines in founding the International Air Traffic Association at a meeting in The Hague. That organization was a predecessor of the International Air Transport Association. DNL therefore occupies a significant place in both Norwegian aviation history and the development of international airline cooperation. It should not be confused with the later Det Norske Luftfartsselskap, the Norwegian airline that became associated with the Scandinavian Airlines system.

The concept of a scheduled Norwegian airline was advanced at a board meeting of Norsk Aero Klubb on 27 February 1918. At that time the organization was known as Norsk Luftseilandsforening. The promoters proposed a large share issue and presented an ambitious network connecting Oslo with Copenhagen, Bergen, Trondheim and northern Norway, alongside routes linking Stavanger with Aberdeen. The proposal was publicized in early March, and more than half of the targeted NOK 5 million capital had reportedly been subscribed within the first month. DNL established offices in Oslo's Prinsensgate and engaged Wilhelm Keilhau as managing director. Gyth Dehli and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen were appointed as technical advisers. The founding meeting took place on 25 December 1918, although the enterprise was not formally registered until 16 March 1920. The company applied for government funding to operate an Oslo–Kristiansand postal route and an international route from Oslo through Gothenburg to Copenhagen. The state ultimately awarded NOK 60,000 for a more limited experimental service along the west coast between Bergen, Haugesund and Stavanger. The airline intended to base its operations at Lindøya near Oslo and sought a long-term lease from the Oslo Port Authority. The authority had reservations because the island was connected to harbor operations and was also involved in discussions with the state. DNL nevertheless received permission to use Lindøya temporarily. In Stavanger, it acquired land beside Hafrsfjord for a local base. The company ordered three Supermarine Channel flying boats, but delivery delays meant that its planned equipment was unavailable when the service was ready to begin. Operations opened on 16 August 1920 with Friedrichshafen FF.49C aircraft supplied and operated by A/S Aero. DNL later transitioned to its own aircraft and personnel. The trial period exposed the difficulties of commercial aviation in the early 1920s. Weather disrupted flying, aircraft suffered mechanical problems, deliveries were delayed and local strikes affected operations. One aircraft was involved in a crash without loss of life. A separate flight became notable for an intoxicated passenger's attempt to attack pilot Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen. The service ended on 15 September 1920. Despite an estimated 94 percent regularity, the route generated little traffic. Mail formed the bulk of the business, passenger demand was extremely limited, and anticipated freight growth did not occur. Only 64 passengers were carried over the operating period, while later flights transported roughly 300 letters each. DNL was liquidated on 13 December 1920, with the formal winding-up continuing until 5 June 1923. Shareholders received 72 percent of their invested capital. The company's brief operating history was accompanied by an important international role. On 28 August 1919, DNL was among seven airlines that established the International Air Traffic Association in The Hague. That body later became part of the institutional lineage leading to the International Air Transport Association. DNL consequently stands as an important pioneer even though its own scheduled service was commercially unsuccessful.

• 1920

  Formal registration completed

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  Det Norske Luftfartsrederi was formally registered on 16 March.

• 1920

  Trial coastal service launched

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  Operations began on 16 August on the Bergen–Haugesund–Stavanger route, initially using aircraft operated by A/S Aero.

• 1920

  Scheduled operations terminated

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  The experimental service ended on 15 September after weak passenger and freight demand and continuing operational difficulties.

• 1920

  Liquidation approved

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  The company was liquidated on 13 December; the winding-up process was completed in 1923.

• 1919

  International airline association established

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  DNL joined six other airlines in founding the International Air Traffic Association in The Hague, an organization regarded as a predecessor of IATA.

• 1918

  Scheduled-airline proposal introduced

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  A proposal for a Norwegian scheduled airline was presented at a Norsk Aero Klubb board meeting on 27 February. The promoters planned domestic coastal and international routes and began raising share capital.

• 1918

  Company founding meeting held

  [1]Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org

  The company's founding meeting took place on 25 December, although formal registration followed in 1920.

An early national aviation enterprise intended to make Norway's long-distance coastal and international travel faster through scheduled flying-boat services.

• Scheduled seaplane route · 1920

  Bergen–Haugesund–Stavanger service

  DNL's only documented operating route was an experimental west-coast service connecting Bergen, Haugesund and Stavanger. It was intended to demonstrate the practicality of scheduled flying-boat transportation in Norway. The route carried mail and a small number of passengers, but weather, mechanical issues, delivery delays and industrial disruptions limited its commercial performance.

• Airmail transportation · 1920

  Norwegian airmail services

  Mail was the principal traffic carried during DNL's short operating period. The company had sought state support for broader postal routes, but the funded experiment remained limited to the western coastal connection. Most flights carried mail rather than passengers, and later flights reportedly transported only around 300 letters each.

• 1920

  Launched the Bergen–Haugesund–Stavanger trial routeProduct launch

  Background

  The government provided a limited grant for an experimental coastal postal and passenger service.

  Action taken

  DNL began flying on 16 August using Friedrichshafen FF.49C aircraft initially supplied and operated by A/S Aero.

  Aftermath

  The route ended on 15 September after limited demand and operational difficulties.

  Source

• 1920

  Terminated operations and entered liquidationOther

  Background

  The experimental service produced insufficient passenger and freight traffic despite relatively high reported operational regularity.

  Action taken

  DNL stopped flying in September and was liquidated in December.

  Aftermath

  The liquidation was completed in 1923, with shareholders recovering 72 percent of share capital.

  Source

• 1918

  Proposed a national and international scheduled networkStrategy

  Background

  Norway's geography and slow surface transport encouraged the promoters to envision scheduled flights linking Oslo with major Norwegian cities and foreign destinations.

  Action taken

  DNL publicized plans for routes to Copenhagen, Bergen, Trondheim, Kirkenes and Aberdeen, with travel-time estimates intended to demonstrate aviation's strategic value.

  Aftermath

  Only a short west-coast trial received state support and reached operation.

  Source

1. 1Det Norske Luftfartsrederien.wikipedia.org