newstodate.aero
May 17, 2017 (newstodate): As relations between China and Norway are warming up again after a prolonged hibernation, calls for direct air services between the two markets are gaining ground as well.
Not least the prospects of a return of China as a key market for Norwegian seafood exports with up to 70,000 tonnes annually within only few years are driving hopes for direct freighter traffic, but Norway would also like to see direct nonstop passenger flights to China.
The issue of Sibir overflight rights remains an obstacle, however, to future China traffic from Norway while the LCC Norwegian would indeed be interested in launching flights on the China lanes if granted the rights.
Another delayed round of joint Scandinavian talks with Russia over air services through Russian airspace have now been agreed for early September, but Norwegian voices are increasingly calling for Norway to quit the joint Scandinavian approach to negotiate instead own air traffic rights with Russia in an effort to fight off the vested interests of the Scandinavian carrier SAS that is today the only airline designated on the Scandinavian side, now operating 19 weekly rotations on routes to China.
The pressure has grown to such strength that SAS has issued a press release in Norway on the issue.
-SAS has no objections against Norwegian to obtain similar overflight rights but we will not accept that this would be at the cost of what SAS has achieved through years of negotiations with Russia.
-Working together, the Scandinavian countries have gained strength in these negoations that have benefited especially non-EU Norway. The joint Scandinavian agreement has contributed to allowing Norwegian companies, not least Norwegian, to build up internationally with a basis in Norway as well as perform to flights from other Scandinavian countries to Europe and beyond.
-A Norwegian "aviation-brexit" would not seem a good idea if you would not risk to throw out the baby with the bathwater, the press release reads.
Not least the prospects of a return of China as a key market for Norwegian seafood exports with up to 70,000 tonnes annually within only few years are driving hopes for direct freighter traffic, but Norway would also like to see direct nonstop passenger flights to China.
The issue of Sibir overflight rights remains an obstacle, however, to future China traffic from Norway while the LCC Norwegian would indeed be interested in launching flights on the China lanes if granted the rights.
Another delayed round of joint Scandinavian talks with Russia over air services through Russian airspace have now been agreed for early September, but Norwegian voices are increasingly calling for Norway to quit the joint Scandinavian approach to negotiate instead own air traffic rights with Russia in an effort to fight off the vested interests of the Scandinavian carrier SAS that is today the only airline designated on the Scandinavian side, now operating 19 weekly rotations on routes to China.
The pressure has grown to such strength that SAS has issued a press release in Norway on the issue.
-SAS has no objections against Norwegian to obtain similar overflight rights but we will not accept that this would be at the cost of what SAS has achieved through years of negotiations with Russia.
-Working together, the Scandinavian countries have gained strength in these negoations that have benefited especially non-EU Norway. The joint Scandinavian agreement has contributed to allowing Norwegian companies, not least Norwegian, to build up internationally with a basis in Norway as well as perform to flights from other Scandinavian countries to Europe and beyond.
-A Norwegian "aviation-brexit" would not seem a good idea if you would not risk to throw out the baby with the bathwater, the press release reads.