Category Archives: Norwegian Air International

Norwegian reports record high year-end traffic figures: Carried over 33 million passengers in 2017

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Oslo) has made this announcement:

Norwegian reported its highest ever passenger figures in a single year with more than 33 million passengers and a load factor of 87.5 per cent in 2017. The launch of 54 new routes and a substantial increase of intercontinental traffic contributed considerably to the growth.

Passenger growth, more new aircraft and high load factors characterized 2017. The company carried more than 33.15 million passengers in 2017, 3.8 million more than the previous year. The company took delivery of 32 brand new aircraft and launched 54 new routes, mainly between Europe and the U.S. The Group hired approximately 2,000 new staff members. The 2017 load factor was 87.5 per cent, compared to 87.7 percent the previous year.

Norwegian also received several international customer awards in 2017, including two SkyTrax Awards: ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ for the fifth consecutive year and the ‘World’s best low-cost long-haul airline’ for the third year in a row.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said: “The 2017 traffic figures show that our international footprint grows stronger, in line with the Norwegian Group’s strategy. Our Scandinavian operation is stable and positive, and we see that our long-haul and short-haul networks complement each other, consequently strengthening our competitiveness. Our growing long-haul networks from the UK and Ireland continue to be well-received by passengers, proving the demand for high-quality, affordable travel. Increased tourism creates economic value and new jobs at all the destinations we serve.”

Passenger growth in December

December 2017 was also characterised by passenger growth and a solid load factor. Norwegian carried 2,402,005 passengers in December, up 12 per cent from the same month last year. Both the capacity growth (ASK) and the traffic growth (RPK) were 32 per cent. The load factor was 84.6 per cent, the same as December 2016.

Norwegian operated 99.3 percent of its scheduled flights in December, of which 68.2 per cent departed on time.

In other news, Norwegian is bringing new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 routes to Helsinki starting on October 28, 2018; Budapest, Ivalo, London Gatwick, Oslo, and Rovaniemi.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by Norwegian): Norwegian.com (Norwegian Air International) (Ireland) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 EI-FYC (msn 42825) (Jonathan Swift, Irish writer) ARN (Stefan Sjogren). Image: 940376.

Norwegian (Ireland) aircraft slide show:

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Norwegian expands long-haul network with flights from US to Madrid, Amsterdam and Milan, buys 28 slots at Gatwick

Norwegian on December 14, 2017 announced further expansion of its long-haul networks with four new routes between Europe and the United States to Europe: New York (JFK) and Los Angeles to Madrid; New York (JFK) to Amsterdam; and Los Angeles to Milan.

Norwegian now offers 61 nonstop transatlantic routes between the US and Europe.

To support the continuous growth at Los Angeles International Airport, Norwegian will open its fourth American crew base with 150 cabin crewmembers during the first quarter of 2018. The airline already has four crew bases for cabin crew and pilots in the U.S.

Service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Madrid-Barajas Airport will launch on July 18, 2018, and operate three times per week. Service to Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport will launch on May 7, 2018, and will operate four times per week.

Service from Los Angeles International Airport to Madrid will launch on July 16, 2018, and will operate four times per week. Service to Milan-Malpensa Airport will launch on June 18, 2018, and will also operate four times per week.

Economy launch fares to Amsterdam and Madrid from New York City start as low as $199 and $229 one-way, respectively, including taxes; fares from Los Angeles to both Madrid and Milan start from $229 one-way, including taxes.

Overall, Norwegian now offers 61 transatlantic flights from 13 U.S. airports to Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well six routes to the French Caribbean, totaling 67 routes out of the United States. Upcoming launches from the U.S. include: Oakland/San Francisco to Rome (February 6, 2018); New York/Newark to Paris (February 28); Chicago to London (March 25); Austin to London (Mach 27); Denver to Paris (April 9); Oakland/San Francisco to Paris (April 10), Boston to Paris (May 2); New York/JFK to Amsterdam (May 7); Los Angeles to Milan (June 18); Los Angeles to Madrid (July 16); and New York/JFK to Madrid (July 18).

In other news, Norwegian on December 13, 2017 confirmed it has acquired an additional 28 weekly slots at London Gatwick Airport from summer 2018. The take-off and landing slots, purchased from Small Planet Airlines, will allow Norwegian to plan for continued growth at Gatwick as the airline heads into its busiest ever year in the UK in 2018.

London Gatwick is at the heart of Norwegian’s fast-growing UK operation, where the airline already flies more than 4.6 million passengers each year to over 30 global destinations. Norwegian’s route network at Gatwick includes affordable long-haul flights to 9 US cities and Singapore, with further long-haul routes to Argentina, Chicago and Austin launching early next year.

Planning work is now underway to allocate the newly acquired 28 weekly slots which cover the busy summer 2018 period at London Gatwick.

Copyright Photo: Norwegian.com (Norwegian Air UK) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-CJUL (msn 38779) (Roald Dahl, British Storyteller) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 940216.

Benjamin Franklin to be the first American tailfin hero for Norwegian

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) has started the process of “Americanizing” the tails of some of its newest aircraft despite the on-going pushback by U.S. majors and unions of their expanding lower-cost service to the United States. Norwegian issued this statement and image:

Norwegian has announced Benjamin Franklin as its first American tailfin hero. The inventor and statesman, who was often called the “first American” because of his tireless campaigning to unify the colonies, will adorn the airline’s newest Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The new American hero will serve the new transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, Belfast, Cork, Shannon and Dublin to the US East Coast.

Since its founding, Norwegian has always honored iconic, historical figures on the tails of its aircraft. Each person who is featured on a tailfin embodies Norwegian’s spirit of pushing boundaries, inspiring others and challenging the status quo. To commemorate Norwegian’s expansion in the United States, the airline will introduce a series of American icons over the next few months. Norwegian now offers 23 direct routes to the U.S. from six airports in the UK and Ireland.

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts and relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in his late teens where he later started a successful printing business. Additionally, he was an inventor, statesman and a leading figure in American history. Franklin is best known as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and authors of the Declaration of Independence.

The new aircraft featuring Benjamin Franklin is Norwegian’s fourth Boeing 737 MAX aircraft this year. In total, Norwegian will take delivery of two additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from the 110 it has on order. The airline operates one of the world’s youngest fleets with an average age of just 3.6 years.

Norwegian is Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier, carrying 30 million yearly passengers to more than 140 global destinations.

In other news, Norwegian’s first transatlantic flights using the brand-new Boeing 737 MAX took off from Edinburgh this past weekend, with British aviation maverick Sir Freddie Laker featuring as the aircraft’s tail fin hero (EI-FYA) (above).

The pioneer of low-cost long-haul travel’s portrait is emblazoned on the tail fin of Norwegian’s brand new 737 MAX, Boeing’s newest aircraft type. The Sir Freddie Laker 737 MAX departed Edinburgh for the first time on Saturday evening to Hartford, Connecticut and serviced yesterday afternoon’s flight from Edinburgh to Stewart Intl. in New York.

Norwegian’s brand new 737 MAX offers up to 189 seats and a longer range which allows the airline to serve smaller cities on both sides of the Atlantic and offer truly affordable fares. The airline always honours iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, featuring personalities who reflect the spirit of Norwegian through innovation, pioneering achievement and inspiring others.

Sir Freddie Laker was born in Canterbury in 1922 andhad a long career in aviation, working for aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers, delivering military aircraft during World War Two, and setting up several airline ventures post-war. Sir Freddie was best known for founding Laker Airways and the ‘Skytrain’ service which first took to the air in September 1977, offering flights from London Gatwick to New York JFK for the then ground-breaking fare of £59.

Laker was a popular public figure and knighted by the UK Government in 1978 for services to the airline industry. As one of the first people to challenge established airlines by applying a ‘low-cost’ model to air travel, Laker set the template for the many ‘low-cost carriers’ that dominate modern-day aviation – his pioneering approach also coming long before the huge benefits of efficient new aircraft, the internet marketplace and more liberalised industry that modern airlines can now take advantage of.

Sir Freddie’s legacy has been a clear inspiration to Norwegian’s own low-cost long-haul growth which has now expanded to more than 50 transatlantic routes between Europe and the U.S. Last month, Norwegian launched 12 new routes from the UK and Ireland to the US East Coast, using the brand-new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Additionally, Irish Antarctic explorer Tom Crean (above) has taken to the skies this weekend as a brand new aircraft featuring Norwegian’s first ever Irish tail fin hero went into service for the first time.

The explorer’s portrait appears on one of Norwegian’s brand new 737MAX aircraft (EI-FYB) which is flying for the first time this weekend. The Tom Crean aircraft took off from Belfast International Airport on Saturday afternoon, landing in Stewart International Airport in New York last night. Earlier this morning, the aircraft landed back in Dublin Airport and will fly back to New York later on Sunday afternoon.

Norwegian has always honored iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, featuring personalities who symbolise the spirit of Norwegian through innovation, pioneering achievement and inspiring others.

The Tom Crean tail fin appears on Norwegian’s brand new 737MAX aircraft which will serve new transatlantic routes from Cork, Shannon and Dublin which began earlier this month.

Born in County Kerry in 1877, Tom Crean joined the Royal Navy aged just 15, quickly becoming recognised as an accomplished sailor. In 1901, a chance encounter with Robert Falcon Scott saw Crean join Captain Scott’s ship ‘Discovery’ for an exploration into the unchartered Antarctica waters – it would become the first of several polar expeditions undertaken by Crean that led him to become known as one of Ireland’s greatest Antarctic explorers.

It was during one of these missions that Crean undertook his ‘Impossible march’ and what became recognised as the greatest act of bravery in Antarctic exploration history. Having been on the march for 1,500 miles, one of Crean’s companions collapsed 35 miles from safety – Crean volunteered to go for help, completing a final 18 hour leg of the journey alone through sub-zero temperatures. Crean’s solo exploits saved his companion and saw him awarded The Albert Medal for his heroism by King George. Crean would also go on to receive the Polar Medal three times for his Antarctic endeavours.

Crean’s modest and humble personality meant that it is only in recent years that his extraordinary career received widespread public recognition, including a bestselling book about his life and even a Guinness TV advert created in his honour. Nicknamed the ‘Irish Giant’ for his strength and stature as well as his leadership qualities, Crean perfectly captures the essence of Norwegian’s tailfin heroes.

Images: Norwegian.

Norwegian becomes the first European Boeing 737 MAX 8 operator

Norwegian and Boeing on June 29, 2017 celebrated the delivery of the Norwegian’s first two 737 MAX 8s. Norwegian is the first European carrier to take delivery of the 737 MAX and will deploy the airplanes on transatlantic flights between northern Europe and the east coast of the United States.

Norwegian is the sixth largest low-cost carrier in the world and flies over 500 routes to more than 150 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Thailand, the Caribbean and the US. It currently operates a fleet of more than 100 Next-Generation 737-800s and over a dozen 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners. The Oslo-headquartered carrier also has unfilled orders for 108 737 MAX 8s and 19 787-9s.

Norwegian continues its fleet renewal

Norwegian´s fully owned subsidiary Arctic Aviation Assets (AAA) has ordered two new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. In addition, AAA today signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a sale-leaseback transaction of 11 Boeing 737-800 aircraft currently operated by Norwegian.

Norwegian has exercised its options to order two new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that will be delivered during 2018. Following this announcement, AAA now has a firm order of 110 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 90 remaining purchase options.The LOI for sale-leaseback of 11 aircraft is expected to reduce the Norwegian Group’s financial net debt by approximately NOK 1.4 billion based on the currency exchange rate NOK/USD of 8.5.

On May 4, 2017, Norwegian announced the sale-leaseback of eight new Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be conducted in the second quarter. Following the sale of 19 aircraft (eight new deliveries and 11 existing), the Norwegian Group estimates a positive net cash flow impact on of approximately NOK 2.3 billion. These aircraft will be leased back to Norwegian me.

“By selling some of our older 737-800 aircraft and ordering two additional 737 MAX aircraft, we are taking another step towards replacing our current fleet with even more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly aircraft. This allows us to enhance our operation and reap financial benefits. Norwegian’s strategy is to operate and own the newest state-of-the-art fleet of aircraft, giving passengers high-quality comfort and the shareholders as high a return as possible,” said Bjørn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian.

In other news, Norwegian has announced that Jonathan Swift will become its second Irish tail fin hero, with the celebrated author’s portrait to appear on the tail of the airline’s aircraft that will serve the new transatlantic routes from Cork, Shannon and Dublin to the US East Coast.

Norwegian has always honored iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, featuring personalities who symbolise the spirit of Norwegian through innovation, challenging the norm and inspiring others. To reflect Norwegian’s rapid growth and new routes from Ireland, the airline has begun a series of Irish tail fin heroes. Jonathan Swift will become Norwegian’s second Irish hero, following legendary explorer Tom Crean who was announced earlier this year.

Born in Dublin in 1667, Jonathan Swift was a poet, author and journalist best known for his satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels and for his satirical essay on the Irish famine ‘A Modest Proposal’. Swift studied at Trinity College in Dublin before spending time in England where he wrote A Tale of a Tub published in 1704. During this time Swift also decided upon a career in the clergy and was ordained as a priest in the Church of Ireland.

His greatest known work – Gulliver’s Travels, a book of fantasy, satire, and political allegory -, was written in 1725 and published in 1726. The book was a great success and contributed to Swift’s fame and legacy as a writer and social commentator.

The portrait of Jonathan Swift, which will be used to adorn the tail of a Norwegian aircraft, has been taken from an oil painting of the author by Charles Jervas painted in 1875. The portrait is in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, which will celebrate a reopening of the Historic Wings on the 15^th June with a two-week summer highlight festival.

From July, Norwegian will launch a series of new low-cost transatlantic routes from Cork, Shannon and Dublin. The flights will serve smaller airports on the US east coast which offer good access into the New York, Boston and New England areas but carry significantly lower landing charges, allowing Norwegian to offer some truly affordable fares.

Norwegian is Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier, carrying 30 million yearly passengers to more than 140 global destinations.

All images by Norwegian.

Norwegian to lease two additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, 787 fleet going to 42

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/World-Airline-News/World-Airline-News-May-2016/i-Sg3QrsZ/A

Norwegian has entered into a lease agreement with CIT Aerospace to lease two new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with deliveries in the spring of 2018. The latest agreement means that the company will have a fleet of 42 long-haul Dreamliners before 2020.

Norwegian currently has eight 787-8 Dreamliners and two 787-9 Dreamliners in the long-haul fleet.

Norwegian is also exercising eight Boeing 737 MAX 8 options. The Group already has 100 MAX 8 aircraft on order and is the launch customer for Europe.

Copyright Photo: Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Norwegian Long Haul) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner EI-LNI (msn 37307) (Greta Garbo) LGW (Robbie Shaw). Image: 932746.

Norwegian orders 19 additional 344-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian Long Haul) (Oslo) today made this announcement:

Norwegian, Europe’s third largest low-cost airline, is continuing to expand its international operations by signing an agreement to purchase 19 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners – the order will help more than quadruple its current long-haul fleet to 38 aircraft within the next five years.

The agreement is the largest single order of 787-9s in Europe and includes purchase options for an additional ten aircraft of the same type. The new order will enable the company to launch even more long-haul routes and expand its existing network in the coming years.

Norwegian already operates Dreamliner aircraft from its London Gatwick base, serving the UK’s only low-cost long-haul flights to US – Dreamliners are used on services to New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood. A further low-cost route from Gatwick to Boston will be launched in May 2016, while next month will see the launch of low-cost Caribbean flights with the UK’s only direct route to Puerto Rico – both new routes will also be served by Dreamliner aircraft.

Norwegian currently operates eight 787-8 Dreamliners and has 11 of the bigger 787-9 on order. With today’s order, Norwegian’s long-haul fleet will consist of 38 Dreamliners by 2020. The first deliveries from the new order will commence in 2017.

The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family. With a longer fuselage, the 787-9 will fly 53 more passengers than the 787-8. Norwegian’s asset company, Arctic Aviation Assets Limited (AAA), will own the aircraft.

Norwegian’s version of the 787-9 has 344 seats with 35 in premium and 309 in economy. With today’s order for 19 787-9s, Norwegian has more than 150 unfilled orders from Boeing, including 100 737 MAXs. In addition, the company has 100 Airbus A320neos on order.

In other news, on the financial side, Norwegian today reported its third quarter results for 2015 with a pre-tax result (EBT) of 1.1 billion NOK (£87million), a strong improvement from the same quarter previous year. The company’s long-haul operations and international routes have a positive impact on the results. The load factor is at a record high of 91 percent.
The pre-tax result was 1.1 billion NOK, a strong improvement from 505 MNOK (£43.5million) in the same quarter last year. The load factor for the third quarter was 91 per cent, up six per cent.

The airline carried 7.7 million passengers this quarter, an increase of 9 per cent. The long-haul passenger growth was 15 per cent, compared with last year’s third quarter result.

Norwegian’s strongest growth in terms of passenger numbers was at London Gatwick, where the airline operates both long- and short-haul routes. The growth at Spanish airports is also considerable. In the Nordic countries passenger numbers are stable, with a slight increase in market share.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said: “The third quarter results show that Norwegian’s long-haul operations and international routes are becoming significantly more important. This is where we see most of the future growth potential, enabling the company to compete in a global market with strong competition.

“UK activity has played a crucial role in a strong third quarter for Norwegian, with Gatwick seeing our biggest overall growth in passenger numbers. With new aircraft and new routes planned, expansion in the UK will continue to be at the forefront of our long-term plans.

“We also see growth in Europe in general, while the Scandinavian market is stable. The Scandinavian and European route networks play an increasingly important role in our long-haul strategy, as many of our passengers use connecting flights with Norwegian.”

The UK will be a key market in Norwegian’s future expansion plans – growth and activity in the UK during the third quarter has included:

UK FLEET UPGRADED WITH NEW AIRCRAFT – Norwegian already has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world and Q3 has seen further new 737-800 aircraft begin operating from UK airports

Also in the third quarter, Norwegian received more international awards, including two Passenger Choice Awards. The company took delivery of five new aircraft, ordered two new Dreamliners and entered into an agreement to lease out 12 of its new Airbus A320neos, which will be delivered from 2016. Norwegian-subsidiary Arctic Aviation Assets Limited owns the aircraft and will be leasing them out for a period of 12 years.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner EI-LNA (msn 35304) is pictured at Paine Field near Everett before it was handed over to the carrier.

Norwegian aircraft slide show:

Norwegian reports a second quarter profit of $56 million, load factor increases to 85%

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) today issued its financial results for the second quarter:

Norwegian today reported its second quarter results for 2015. The pre-tax result (EBT) was 456 million NOK ($56.0 million), an improvement of 593 million NOK ($72.8 million) from the previous year. The load factor for this period was 85 percent with strong progress in all of Norwegian’s markets. This also applies to the long-haul operation, where the load factor was over 90 percent and the passenger number has more than doubled since the same period last year.

The load factor for the second quarter was 85 percent, up five percentage points from the same quarter last year. Norwegian’s long-haul operation had an even higher load factor of 91 percent. During the second quarter, the airline carried 324,000 passengers on its long-haul network. This means that passenger figures for the long-haul operation has more than doubled since the same period last year, where the passenger number was 139,000. Norwegian currently operates 434 routes in Europe, USA and Asia – 21 of which are long-haul routes. All in all, Norwegian has 28 long-haul destinations for sale, with more to come within just a few weeks, including London Gatwick – Boston.

During the second quarter, Norwegian took delivery of a new 787 Dreamliner and two Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Today, Norwegian has a long-haul fleet of eight Dreamliner aircraft. Four more Dreamliners will be added to the fleet next year; all of which will be a bigger version of the ones Norwegian operates today.

Solid growth in all markets

Seven million passengers chose to travel with Norwegian in the second quarter – an increase of nine percent. Norwegian’s strongest growth in terms of passenger numbers was at London Gatwick, with Oslo Airport as a close runner up. The Spanish airports are also experiencing a solid rise in number of Norwegian-passengers. During this quarter, Norwegian has launched domestic routes in Spain, new routes to the Caribbean, as well as new routes between the Caribbean and the cities of Boston, New York and Washington DC.

Despite a weak Norwegian krone, the unit costs are down, ensuring the company’s competitiveness in the future. The fuel prices have decreased, which more than outweighs the effects of a weak Norwegian krone. New aircraft consume considerably less fuel than older aircraft, which gives Norwegian a significant competitive advantage. Norwegian boasts one of the world’s youngest aircraft fleets with an average age of just four years.

During the second quarter, Norwegian’s total revenue was almost 5.9 BNOK, up 16 percent from the same quarter last year. Norwegian’s long-haul routes had a revenue growth of 60 percent. Norwegian’s production growth (ASK) for this quarter was 8 percent, while the company’s traffic growth (RPK) was 15 percent, which reflects that each of Norwegian’s passengers on average flies significantly longer than they did before. In addition, more and more passengers are purchasing optional extras on board.

Copyright Photo: Keith Burton/AirlinersGallery.com. Norwegian is phasing out the last of the older and less fuel efficient Boeing 737-300s. The last of the type is expected to be retired at the end of the current summer season. Boeing 737-31S LN-KHB (msn 29264) is pictured departing at Southend.

Norwegian aircraft slide show:

Talks between Norwegian Air Norway (NAN) and the Norwegian Pilot Union (NPU) break down

Norwegian Air Norway (Norwegian Air Shuttle) (Oslo) is a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Norwegian Air Shuttle recently transferred its first aircraft (Norwegian registered LN-DYY, msn 39012) to the Irish registry according to Skyliner Aviation. The Boeing 737-8JP was reregistered on the Irish registry as EI-FHA on February 17. Ireland is part of European Union. Under Ireland, Norwegian registered aircraft will be able to operate on more European routes due to the prevailing bilateral restrictions from Norway to the EU.

In February 2014, Norwegian Air Shuttle’s Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, received its Air Operators Certificate (AOC). The AOC issued in Ireland gives the company future traffic rights to and from the European Union. Norwegian Air International is seeking rights to operate the Boeing 787s to the United States and theoretically replace Norwegian Long Haul.

The Norwegian Long Haul Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (currently operating on long range routes) are also registered in Ireland. Norwegian Long Haul however has a separate Norwegian AOC with the IATA code of DU.

All aircraft operate under the “Norwegian” brand.

According to News in English (from Norway) the pilots are striking because airline management wants to “cut their pensions, pay and insurance benefits”. According to the report, the pilots are “fighting for a permanent collective bargaining agreement with Norwegian Air’s parent company, Norwegian Air Shuttle.” The union also fears the company will try to replace them with cheaper crews from crewing agencies or possibly declare bankruptcy.

Read the full full report: CLICK HERE

Meanwhile Norwegian Air Norway (Oslo) issued this statement:

Norwegian regrets that it was not possible to reach an agreement in mediation between the subsidiary Norwegian Air Norway (NAN) and the Norwegian Pilot Union (NPU). Norwegian’s goal remains to implement this weekend flights so far as is possible when a limited number of pilots have been on strike in the first round.

Norwegian had before the mediation proposed several completely necessary cost savings to ensure a sustainable business and future jobs. Unfortunately, the NPU / Parathyroid did not comply with these requirements but instead presented a claim that goes in the wrong direction relative to the agreements reached at the previous hearing in 2013. NPU demand the right to control the Norwegiankoncernen, collective agreements with a company they are employed in, and that the Norwegian collective agreement shall also apply outside Norway. Norwegian could not accept the requirement for koncernansenitet for NAN pilots, ie ansenitet in a company they are employed in. In practice, it would have given Scandinavian pilots the opportunity to oust colleagues at the other bases in Europe.

We really regret the uncertainty being created among our passengers. Our goal has always been to avoid a strike and get a solution and peace in the company. Now we will do what we can to take care of the passengers in the best possible way, says Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos.

The conflict comes for Norwegian Scandinavian subsidiary Norwegian Air Norway (NAN). This means that long routes between Scandinavia / UK and USA / Asia runs as usual. The bases in England, Finland and Spain are also not directly concerned.

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. Registered in Norway, Boeing 737-86N LN-NOQ (msn 32658) departs from London (Gatwick).

Norwegian aircraft slide show:

Norwegian carries a record number of passengers in 2014

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) set a new passenger record in 2014 with nearly 24 million passengers. The carrier transported three million more passengers in 2014 than the previous year. Since its inception in 2002, 130 million passengers have traveled with Norwegian.

According to the airline, “2014 was characterized by high capacity growth but also a high load factor. The load factor in 2014 was 81 percent against 78 percent in 2013. In 2014, the airline renewed the fleet considerably, launched many new routes – both intercontinental and in Europe and established new bases in the United States and Spain.”

Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8JP LN-DYG (msn 39165) with Swedish opera singer, Jenny Lind, arrives in London at Gatwick Airport.

Norwegian aircraft slide show:

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