Fred. Olsens Flyselskap
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UnclaimedFormer Norwegian charter and cargo airline that operated from 1946 until 1997.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Fred. Olsens Flyselskap, internationally known as Fred. Olsen Airtransport and commonly abbreviated FOF, was a Norwegian charter and cargo airline associated with the Fred. Olsen shipping and industrial group. It operated from the postwar period until 1997, with its principal base at Oslo Airport, Fornebu, and a secondary operational presence at Copenhagen Airport. Although it carried passengers on charter services, its long-term identity was shaped primarily by freight flying, aircraft leasing, technical services, and specialized aviation contracts. The company emerged from the Fred. Olsen sphere after the postwar reorganization of Norwegian civil aviation. Before the Second World War, Fred. Olsen interests had helped establish Det Norske Luftfartselskap, later known as Norwegian Air Lines, and the family retained the legal successor that was not absorbed into the new national airline structure. FOF was formally incorporated in October 1945 and began commercial operations in 1946 with former military Douglas C-47 aircraft. Its first commercial flight, operated in November 1946, carried a ship-engine component to Colombo for Wilh. Wilhelmsen. Early operations were supported by an agreement with British Overseas Airways Corporation and included international charter and freight work. During the 1950s, FOF expanded beyond its initial Dakota fleet. It operated or introduced Douglas DC-4s, Vickers Viscounts, and Curtiss C-46 Commandos. The Viscounts made FOF the first Norwegian operator of turboprop aircraft, although their intended scheduled international role did not materialize and they were instead leased to foreign airlines and used for charter work. The Commandos became important cargo aircraft, including for flower transport and wet-leased freight services for Scandinavian Airlines System. The company also created Fred. Olsen Aircraft Maintenance, later developing a broader technical operation at Fornebu. The airline increasingly specialized in cargo during the 1960s. Douglas DC-6 freighters entered service from 1965, and by 1967 FOF had taken over most SAS night cargo flying. It also participated in the Biafran airlift during the Nigerian Civil War, operating humanitarian flights from São Tomé to Uli for Joint Church Aid. The operation exposed the airline to wartime risk when one of its aircraft was bombed in 1969. In parallel, FOF developed specialized aviation activities, including executive aviation, aircraft maintenance, and flight inspection for Norway’s Civil Aviation Administration. FOF entered the corporate-jet market in 1967 with Dassault Falcon 20 aircraft under the Fred. Olsen Executive Service name. The Falcons were used for executive charter and air-ambulance missions, and as many as four were operated. The company later moved its principal cargo fleet toward Lockheed L-188 Electras, acquired after the purchase of Nordic Air in the early 1970s. The Electras replaced the DC-6s on regular freight work and were frequently chartered to SAS. Later contracts with Air de Cologne, TNT, KLM, and DHL helped sustain the business as SAS reduced its own reliance on subcontracted cargo operators. A separate and significant line of business was the operation and maintenance of aircraft used for navigational-aid calibration and flight inspection. FOF initially used a Convair CV-340, followed by a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 and, from 1996, a de Havilland Canada Dash 8. Its maintenance division also performed work for other airlines and for Royal Norwegian Air Force aircraft. The company secured a Dash 8 arrangement in 1994 through the Fred. Olsen group’s relationship with Widerøe, linking the replacement aircraft to a renewed maintenance contract. FOF announced in February 1997 that it would end operations. It cited the loss of maintenance contracts, difficulty earning satisfactory returns in the Central European freight market, and the competitive disadvantage of its aging Electra fleet. Employee efforts to take over the company did not succeed, and the airline ceased operations later in 1997. Its legacy lies in Norwegian postwar charter aviation, European air freight, aircraft maintenance, flight inspection, and the use of older aircraft in specialized commercial roles.
History
Fred. Olsen’s involvement in Norwegian aviation began before the Second World War. Fred. Olsen & Co., controlled by brothers Thomas Fredrik Olsen and Rudolf Olsen, helped establish Det Norske Luftfartselskap in 1933. That airline received Norwegian and international route concessions in 1935, but the German invasion in 1940 disrupted its operations. Aircraft were requisitioned, routes were suspended, and many pilots left Norway to support Allied aviation activities. After liberation, Norway reorganized civil aviation around a national airline. The former Fred. Olsen interests retained the legal successor to the prewar company, which was incorporated on 16 October 1945 as Fred. Olsen Airtransport and owned jointly by Ganger Rolf and Bonheur. FOF acquired three former military Douglas C-47s in the United States and began commercial work in 1946. Its early business concentrated on international charter and freight services, supported by overseas agents and cooperation with British Overseas Airways Corporation. A short operating cooperation with the national airline began in 1947 but ended after about a year, after which FOF focused more clearly on charter and cargo markets. The airline’s fleet evolved rapidly. Following two aircraft write-offs in 1952, it acquired additional equipment, including a DC-4. A Hiller 360 helicopter was acquired in 1954 but crashed on its inaugural flight. In the mid-1950s, FOF ordered Vickers Viscounts and became Norway’s first turboprop operator. The aircraft were used mainly for charter and leasing because Norwegian authorities did not approve the planned scheduled international operation. Curtiss C-46 Commandos complemented the Viscounts from 1957, especially in freight work. FOF also based cargo activity at Copenhagen, an important gateway for Scandinavian operations. Technical services became an important adjunct to flying. Fred. Olsen Aircraft Maintenance was established at Fornebu in 1955 and later liquidated as a separate entity, while FOF continued and expanded maintenance activities. A heavier maintenance division was consolidated at Fornebu during the late 1960s and received authorization in 1972 to perform work for other operators. Its capabilities included maintenance on aircraft used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Cargo became the airline’s central commercial specialization in the 1960s. A cargo-only Douglas DC-6 entered service in 1965, followed by two more in 1967. The larger aircraft allowed FOF to assume most SAS night cargo operations in Europe. During the Biafran airlift beginning in 1968, the airline operated aid flights from São Tomé to Uli. The wartime environment created substantial danger, including the bombing of one aircraft in November 1969. FOF diversified into executive aviation with the Dassault Falcon 20 in 1967. Its Fred. Olsen Executive Service operated corporate charters and air-ambulance flights, eventually using four Falcons. The company also acquired a Convair CV-340 in 1968 for civil aviation calibration and freight charter. As Norway’s regional airport network developed, the aircraft was used heavily for flight inspection and was later subcontracted to Widerøe for regional flying. The company entered the Electra era after acquiring Nordic Air. Two Lockheed L-188 Electras were produced in 1973 and entered FOF service, with a third added the following year. They assumed regular cargo work while the DC-6 fleet moved toward spot charter flying. The last DC-6 left in 1977. The Falcons were transferred to the Royal Norwegian Air Force by 1978, although FOF retained heavy-maintenance responsibilities. During the 1980s and 1990s, FOF relied on contracts with SAS and express-freight companies. SAS chartered Electras and used them on cargo services, while FOF also participated in Air de Cologne operations. When SAS reduced and eventually discontinued its freight-only network, FOF shifted toward contracts involving TNT, KLM, and DHL. The DHL business, centered largely on Brussels, supported the addition of another Electra in 1991 and brought the fleet to six aircraft by 1996. FOF continued its calibration work with the Civil Aviation Administration. A Hawker Siddeley HS 748 replaced the Convair in 1976, and a contract arrangement in 1994 enabled the acquisition of a Dash 8, which entered service in 1996. The newer aircraft reduced hourly operating costs, but this modernization did not resolve the wider financial and strategic pressures facing the company. The aging Electras were increasingly costly compared with newer freighters, while maintenance-contract changes and a difficult Central European cargo market weakened the business. FOF announced its closure in February 1997 and ceased operations during that year.
- 1997
Operations cease
[1]FOF announced closure and ended its aviation operations after losing contracts and struggling to compete in freight markets.
- 1996
Dash 8 enters calibration service
[1]A Dash 8 replaced the older Hawker Siddeley aircraft in civil aviation calibration work.
- 1991
Fourth Electra added for DHL work
[1]DHL freight contracts strengthened the business and supported fleet expansion.
- 1973
Electra fleet introduced
[1]The company acquired Lockheed L-188 Electras after the purchase of Nordic Air, shifting its main cargo operation toward the type.
- 1968
Humanitarian airlift operation
[1]FOF began contracted aid flights from São Tomé to Uli during the Biafran airlift.
- 1967
Executive jets and expanded SAS cargo work
[1]FOF introduced Dassault Falcon 20 corporate jets and added DC-6 aircraft, enabling it to take over most SAS night cargo flights.
- 1965
DC-6 cargo operation begins
[1]A cargo-only Douglas DC-6 entered service for the growing European freight market.
- 1955
Viscount and maintenance expansion
[1]The airline ordered Vickers Viscounts and established Fred. Olsen Aircraft Maintenance at Fornebu.
- 1946
Commercial operations begin
[1]FOF began flying with Douglas C-47 aircraft and operated its first commercial freight flight to Colombo in November.
- 1945
Postwar company incorporated
[1]The legal successor retained by Fred. Olsen interests was incorporated as Fred. Olsen Airtransport and owned by Ganger Rolf and Bonheur.
Products and positioning
A specialist Norwegian charter, cargo, executive-aviation, maintenance, and flight-inspection operator rather than a mass-market scheduled passenger airline.
Passenger and cargo aircraft · 1946
Douglas C-47
The C-47 formed the foundation of FOF’s postwar operation. Three former military aircraft were acquired, and the type supported the airline’s first international charter and freight services. It was progressively replaced as the company moved toward larger aircraft and specialized cargo equipment.
Passenger charter aircraft · 1955
Vickers Viscount
FOF became Norway’s first turboprop operator with the Viscount. The aircraft was intended for international scheduled flying, but was mainly leased to other airlines and used for passenger charter work, including services for SAS, Air France, Austrian Airlines, and Svalbard-related operations.
Cargo aircraft · 1957
Curtiss C-46 Commando
The C-46 was a major mid-century freight type for FOF. It was used for cargo work such as flower transport and was also wet-leased to SAS. Two aircraft participated in the Biafran airlift before the type was progressively withdrawn and sold by 1971.
Cargo aircraft · 1965
Douglas DC-6
FOF used cargo-only DC-6 aircraft to expand European freight capacity. Their larger payload enabled the airline to handle most SAS night cargo flying from 1967. The type later moved into spot charter work and disappeared from the fleet by 1977.
Corporate jet · 1967
Dassault Falcon 20
Operated under the Fred. Olsen Executive Service brand, the ten-seat Falcon 20 supported executive charter and air-ambulance missions between Southern Europe and Scandinavia. FOF operated up to four aircraft before the last was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1978.
Freighter · 1973
Lockheed L-188 Electra
The Electra became FOF’s principal late-period cargo aircraft. Introduced in the 1970s, it operated SAS, charter, express, and international freight services. Contracts involving TNT, KLM, and DHL sustained the type in FOF service, but its age and operating costs contributed to the airline’s eventual closure.
Aviation calibration service · 1968
Flight-inspection aircraft
FOF operated aircraft for the Civil Aviation Administration to inspect and calibrate navigational aids. The sequence included a Convair CV-340, Hawker Siddeley HS 748, and de Havilland Canada Dash 8. This specialized service remained a notable part of the company’s business until closure.
Controversies
1989
Maintenance connection to Partnair Flight 394 investigation
FOF was responsible for maintaining the Partnair Convair 580 involved in the 1989 Partnair Flight 394 crash. The accident investigation attributed the crash to fraudulent aircraft parts; the available reference states that no criminal charges resulted.
Marketing campaigns
- 1968Biafran airlift
Nigeria · São Tomé
FOF operated humanitarian cargo flights for Joint Church Aid between São Tomé and Uli during the Nigerian Civil War. The airline established an operating base for the mission and used Curtiss C-46 and Douglas DC-6 aircraft.
Outcome. The mission continued despite the loss of an aircraft to bombing in 1969; replacement equipment was sent to maintain the operation.
Brand decisions
1997
Decision to cease airline operationsStrategyBackground
FOF faced lost maintenance contracts, difficult Central European freight economics, and high operating costs from its aging Electra fleet.
Action taken
The company announced that it would terminate operations after employee takeover negotiations failed.
Aftermath
Fred. Olsen Airtransport ceased operating in 1997.
1994
Dash 8 replacement and calibration contractStrategyBackground
The Civil Aviation Administration planned to replace the aging Hawker Siddeley calibration aircraft and considered several newer turboprop types.
Action taken
Through its controlling position in Widerøe, Fred. Olsen helped arrange the purchase of a Dash 8 using a Widerøe option, in exchange for retaining the maintenance contract.
Aftermath
The Dash 8 entered calibration service in 1996 and reduced hourly operating cost, but did not prevent the airline’s later closure.
Aircraft purchase price. NOK 78 million (1994 arrangement)
Sources1 sources
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