 Prior to a government report being presented on 30 March 1993 , SAS had launched 1 November 1993 as their preferred date of free competition , while Braathens SAFE had launched 1 April 1997 as their preferred date . Braaathens SAFE was worried that the high debt the company had due to the purchase of new aircraft would make them illiquid in a price war . Bjørn G. Braathen stated that the company had bought the new aircraft based on the belief that deregulation would occur in 1997 , giving the airline time to pay more of the debt . On 2 June 1993 , with 76 against 18 votes , parliament voted to deregulate the domestic airline market from 1 April 1994 . It was supported by the Labor , Conservative and Progress Party . With this , Norway became the third country in Europe to fully deregulate , after Sweden and the United Kingdom . 
