Atlantic Airways is investigating new destinations and looking to increase frequencies on its existing routes in order to fill extra capacity owing to the return of an aircraft.
Based at Vagar airport in the Faeroese town of Sørvágur, the Faeroe Islands flag carrier received its second BAe 146-200 back from lease to BMI British Midland earlier this year, and is looking for new opportunities to deploy it.
Atlantic's sales manager Kent Christensen says the company has established a joint venture with Bristow Helicopters to service the oil exploration taking place just offshore. Atlantic has an established helicopter base at Vagar, where Bristow aircraft will be stationed and maintained.
Christensen expects to be able to increase services to North Sea oil centres, including Aberdeen, Oslo and Stavanger. In the interim, the company is chartering out the aircraft on an ad hoc basis, including on flights from Copenhagen, which it is able to fly under its Danish air operator's certificate. The Faeroes are a Danish dependency outside the European Union, and duty-free day trips and government flights to mainland Denmark account for the majority of passengers, adds Christensen.
Source: Flight International
