Widerøe (WF, Bodø) could hive off its MRO division as early as the first quarter next year as part of management's plan to cut costs. Petter Strand, the chairman of the Wideroe chapter of the Norwegian aircraft technician organization (Norsk Flytekniker Organisasjon - NFO), told Norway's Nord24 in an interview that many of the department's 300-odd employees had refused to believe the reports which have yet to be corroborated by management.

"It will be easier for Widerøe to get rid of us as a separate company in an increasingly competitive market. We have already seen Wideroe aircraft being maintained in the Netherlands because the company does not have the capacity to do so itself. If it is so easy to fly to the Netherlands, so it may soon be possible that Poland or Estonia are next, and without our having any concrete knowledge about plans to do so," he said.

For his part, Wideroe's VP Public Relations, Richard Kongsteien, has confirmed plans to separate the airline's technical department and ground handling services, but noted they are still at an early stage with no concrete decisions having yet been made.

Widerøe's MRO department employs over 300 personnel specializing in the carrier's fleet of Dash 8-100, Dash 8-200, Dash 8-300, and Dash 8-400 aircraft as well as Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 aircraft.