GuardAir AS was a Norwegian airline.
The airline was founded in 1992 by Einar Rønnestad, and started with a Cessna 210 that it operated for the insurance company Storebrand to find stolen cars and boats. In 1995, the company bought a Piper PA-31 Navajo, and in 1997 it merged with Wing-Tech, and Bjørn Wasler became a co-owner. The company started with charter and cargo, and a Dornier Do 228 was leased. An agreement was made to fly the newspaper Aftenposten from Oslo to Western Norway at night, and return with mail. For this, two additional Dorniers were leased. In 1998, the airline started passenger flights from Skien Airport, Geiteryggen to the newly opened Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. At the same time, the administration was moved from Geiteryggen to Sandefjord Airport, Torp.[1]
GuardAir started flights from Sandefjord to Ålesund Airport, Vigra, Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik and Gothenburg in Sweden.[2] In 2000, Stein Matre bought part of the company, and it decided to bid for some of the public service obligations that were being auctioned away by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications. The company was awarded two routes, from Bodø Airport to Røst Airport, and from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Fagernes Airport, Leirin. The company filed for bankruptcy on 2 April 2001 after the company had lost NOK 30 million.[3]