 With Norway joining the European Economic Area, the Norwegian airline market was deregulated from 1 April 1994.While airlines formerly needed a concession from the Ministry of Transport to fly a particular route, they could now compete freely on any domestic or international routes.Previously the two major airlines Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Braathens SAFE each had their own routes, but from 1994 both established themselves on several of the main-haul routes.