newstodate.aero

Dec 08, 2023 (newstodate): The planned acquisition by Norwegian of the Norwegian regional carrier Wideroe, announced early in July 2023, seems less and less likely to be approved by the country's Competition Authority.
   On November 17, the Competition Authority notified that it was considering intervening in Norwegian's acquisition of Wideroe, giving Norwegian respite until December 8 to respond to the notice, with the deadline for the Competition Authority's final conclusion set at January 3, 2024.
   Norwegian has, however, not substantially changed any details in the planned acquisition and instead vehemently repudiates the conclusion drawn by the Authority.
   Not surprisingly, SAS maintains its position that an acquisition merging the two airlines would severely damage the competitive situation in the Norwegian market to the detriment of consumers.
   For Wideroe, the issue is of vital importance; the carrier's financial situation is in a bad shape further accelerated by the costs from introducing three new Embraer E190 aircraft.