Contrary to initial concerns, the Norwegian competition authority has approved the planned takeover of the regional airline Widerøe by the low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Initially, the office signaled that they would not agree to the deal even if there were conditions, as they feared lower supply at higher prices in domestic traffic. Both carriers publicly countered that there were only very few routes that overlapped. Shortly before Christmas 2023, the deal received a somewhat surprising green light.

According to the competition authority's statement, the statements of the two carriers and those of competitors led to this decision. There were insufficient reasons to justify a ban. This means that the approval is now in place, which means that Norwegian Air Shuttle can buy its competitor Widerøe for the equivalent of around 97 million euros.

Widerøe boss Stein Nilsen said the company he runs couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present. His Norwegian colleague Geir Karlsen added: “We are very pleased that the Norwegian competition authority has come to this decision and that our input has been taken into account. The acquisition will provide customers with a better route offering and more options and help secure Norwegian jobs.”