A Story of Helicopters

It all started with a good dose of courage, a lifelong passion for flying, and the chance to work alongside one of Sweden’s leading helicopter experts. These were the key ingredients that helped Kallax Flyg grow into the country’s largest provider of helicopter services.

Let’s start at the beginning. The parent company of Kallax Flyg is Stenvalls Trä, a family-owned sawmill business founded in 1947 in the small village of Sikfors, outside Piteå in northern Sweden. As children, the Stenvall siblings took to homemade kite-flying behind snowmobiles on frozen lakes—a hobby their mother, Inger Stenvall, deemed far too dangerous. In exchange for giving up these risky pursuits, she offered to fund proper pilot training.

And just like that, a lifelong passion for flying was born.

A Family Legacy That Took to the Skies

In the mid-1980s, three of the Stenvall siblings—Sven, Anna, and Folke—took over the family’s sawmill business. What began as a traditional lumber operation has since grown into a diversified group of companies, active across a range of industries. One of those ventures would turn out to be aviation.

In 1998, with a bold sense of ambition, the family launched Kallax Flyg. At the time, the aviation industry along Sweden’s northern coast was still relatively unexplored. A new hangar was built in Långnäs, outside Piteå, with room for 5–6 helicopters, and the journey began.

Early in Kallax Flyg’s history, a pivotal figure joined the team: Lars Anderberg. With a military background and former leadership at the Swedish Air Force Flight School (AF1), Lars brought a wealth of knowledge, discipline, and safety expertise. His contribution helped lay the foundation for turning Kallax Flyg into Sweden’s leading helicopter company—raising the bar for professionalism and operational standards.

But the company’s growth wasn’t built on operations alone. Strategic acquisitions also played a key role. In 2002, Kallax Flyg acquired Kiruna Flyg, followed by Norrlandsflyg’s mountain unit and Polarhelikopter in 2006. These acquisitions provided a strong platform for future expansion. Eventually, the company also established a Norwegian subsidiary, Kallax Flyg A/S, with operations based in Alta and Tana.

Growth continued. In 2015, Kallax Flyg acquired Westhelicopter, expanding the company’s presence further south with a base in Karlstad. With operations spanning the length of Sweden and into Norway, Kallax Flyg can now proudly claim the title of Sweden’s largest provider of helicopter services.

In the past decade alone, the company has experienced remarkable growth. Today, the team includes nearly 40 full-time employees and an additional 20 seasonal staff during peak periods. Annual turnover exceeds 100 million SEK.

The journey is far from over. With continued enthusiasm, a sharp focus on safety, and a commitment to sustainable development, Kallax Flyg is actively adapting its operations to support society’s energy and climate transition.

We believe in the future—and we’re flying toward it.