Kato Airline

Kato Airline AS, trading as Kato Air, was an airline which operated in Northern Norway between 1995 and 2008. Although also operating some smaller aircraft, the main portion of the airline's fleet were two Dornier 228. The airline was based at the grounds of Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes in Evenes Municipality.

Commercial operations began in 1996. An early contract was to deliver newspapers out of Harstad. During 1999 the airline took delivery of two Dornier 228s and started a scheduled service from Harstad/Narvik to Bodø Airport and Tromsø Airport. The route was not viable and closed later that year. In the process Kato Air took over the fixed-wing operations of Helitrans and set up a base at Trondheim Airport, Værnes. Instead the airline focused on charter to oil companies, particularly flying charters from Trondheim to Brønnøysund.

The airline won the public service obligations from Bodø to Røst Airport and to Narvik Airport, Framnes in 2003. Later the year they also won a major contract with Norway Post. The airline suffered two serious incidents. A Dornier 228 crashed and was written off after a lightning strike on 4 December 2003. A scheduled service was hijacked on 29 September 2004. The Brønnøysund, Framnes and newspaper routes were all lost in 2006, after which the company fell into financial difficulties. The maintenance certificate was withdrawn on 28 August 2008 and the airline ceased operations on 1 September.