Norwegianโs newest route to Scandinavian took off on October 28 with a new nonstop service from Manchester to Norway.
Passengers travelling out on Norwegianโs new service to Bergen were welcomed at check-in at Manchester Airport with an inaugural celebration to mark the new route.
The new twice-weekly seasonal service on a Monday and Friday from Manchester Airport to Bergen offers consumers more choice when travelling with Norwegian to Scandinavia.
In addition to the new service, Norwegian already operates three non-stop routes to Scandinavia from Manchester Airport with three weekly flights to Oslo, two weekly flights to Stavanger and two weekly flights to Stockholm. Along with the new route the airline will now offer nine weekly flights to Scandinavia from Manchester.
Norwegian began operating from Manchester Airport in 2011 and all flights are served by new 186 seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering all passengers free gate-to-gate Wi-Fi and live TV.
Flight schedule โ all times local
Monday โ DY1345 departs Manchester 12.15 arrives Bergen 14.55
Monday โ DY1344 departs Bergan 10.50 arrives Manchester 11.30
Friday โ DY1345 departs Manchester 20.50 arrives Bergen 23.30
Friday โ DY1344 departs Bergan 19.30 arrives Manchester 20.10
Norwegian Air Shuttle has issued this financial report:
Norwegianโs third quarter results are characterised by improved profitability, higher unit revenue, lower unit cost and reduced growth, in line with the strategy. Profit before tax improved by 38 percent to NOK 2.2 billion compared to the same quarter last year.
Unit revenue and revenue per passenger kilometer (yield) both increased by 3 percent this quarter. Total revenue was NOK 14.4 billion, an increase of 8 percent from the same period last year, primarily driven by intercontinental growth. Norwegian carried approximately 10.5 million passengers; a reduction of 3 percent due to lower capacity. The load factor was 91.2 percent, up 0.7 percentage points.
Norwegianโs key priority is returning to profitability through a series of measures, including an optimised route- and base portfolio and an extensive cost-reduction program. The production growth (ASK) in the third quarter was 3 percent, down from the peak growth of 48 percent in the second quarter of 2018. The companyโs internal cost reduction program, #Focus2019, continues with full force with an achieved cost reduction this quarter of NOK 827 million. The company expects to achieve a cost-reduction of NOK 2.3 billion for the year through #Focus2019.
โNorwegianโs third quarter results show that we are delivering on our strategy of moving from growth to profitability. We are delivering record-high earnings, record-high operating revenue and reduced unit cost, even when hit by operational issues outside of our control,โ said Acting CEO and CFO of Norwegian, Geir Karlsen. โI would also like to commend everyone at Norwegian for contributing to delivering on our cost-reductions,โ he added.
As Norwegianโs international foothold has continued to grow, the United States is now the largest market in terms of revenue, followed by Norway, Spain and the UK.
Since 2008, Norwegian has reduced the per passenger CO2 emissions by 30 percent. During the third quarter, Norwegianโs CO2 per passenger kilometre was 69 grams – unchanged from the same period previous year, due to the use of older wet-leased aircraft caused by the grounding of the 737 Max 8 fleet. The passenger climate impact will also be reduced going forward as more new aircraft enter the fleet. With an average age of only 3.8 years, Norwegianโs fleet is one of the most fuel efficient and modern in the world.
Arctic Aviation Assets, a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, has signed an agreement for sale of two Airbus 320neo aircraft.
The aircraft are currently leased out and thus not operated by the Company. Delivery will take place during February 2019. The transaction is expected to increase the Company’s liquidity by $26 million after repayment of debt and have a positive equity effect. Sale proceeds will be used to repay debt and to increase the Company’s liquidity.
The sale is in line with the Companyโs strategy of capitalizing on the scale built up over the last few years and the changed focus from growth to profitability. This announcement is an extension of the information provided in the stock exchange announcement โNorwegian strengthens its balance sheet through a fully underwritten rights issue of NOK 3 billionโ on 29 January, where sale of aircraft was highlighted as a measure to reduce capital expenditures, in addition to postponement of aircraft deliveries.
In other news,ย Norwegian is continuing to enhance the passenger experience by commencing the rollout of new and improved inflight WiFi connectivity onboard the airlineโs Boeing 737-800 fleet.
Norwegian, named Europeโs Best Low-Cost Airline by SkyTrax, was the first airline to offer passengers free in-flight WiFi on all European flights in 2011. The airline became the first to introduce live television over the skies of Europe in 2015 and in 2018 it took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner equipped with inflight WiFi. Norwegian became the first low-cost airline to offer customers free WiFi for the full duration of intercontinental flights.
Today, Norwegian has launched an upgraded WiFi experience on its Boeing 737-800 aircraft as part of improving the customer experience. Norwegian operates Boeing 737-800 aircraft on intra-European routes, routes connecting Europe with North Africa, Middle East and on flights between the USA and French Caribbean.
Norwegian will gradually roll out the new Premium WiFi service across its Boeing 737-800 fleet and expects to complete the rollout in mid-February 2019.
Three Wi-Fi packages available
Customers travelling on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with the new Premium Wi-Fi service available will have a selection of three packages โ SURF, the free option and two paid options, SOCIAL+SURF and STREAM+SURF, both offering faster speeds.
SURF โ Available for free, delivers web browsing, email and text-based messaging
SOCIAL+SURF โ Provides faster web browsing, access to email and all social media. Available for โฌ5 per device. (Pricing may be subject to change.)
STREAM+SURF โ Offers faster web browsing, email access and social media in addition to the ability to stream TV shows, movies and music content on services such as Netflix, YouTube and Spotify among others. Available for โฌ12 per device. (Pricing may be subject to change.)
Norwegian recently started introducing WiFi to its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Boeing 737 MAX fleet. Here, customers have two choices โ Basic free Wi-Fi for the full duration of long-haul flights and a premium high-speed option, fast enough to stream television shows and movies.
Norwegian expects to have the rollout of WiFi completed on 50 percent of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft by 2020.
Norwegian operates a young fleet of more than 160 aircraft with an average age of 3.7 years.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline):ย Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) Boeing 737-8JP WL LN-DYP (msn 39047) (Aksel Sandemose, Norwegian author) ARN (Stefan Sjogren). Image: 945580.
Norwegian is upgrading the passenger experience with the introduction of inflight WiFi on its growing long-haul fleet of aircraft. As the first low-cost carrier to introduce free WiFi on intercontinental flights, Norwegian customers will be able to stay connected with the rollout of basic and premium high-speed WiFi connectivity on the carrierโs Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and 737 MAX aircraft.
The first WiFi connected Norwegian Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft was delivered on December 18, 2018 (reg: G-CKWP) and features American author Mark Twain on its tailfin. The new aircraft has entered service, which marks the first time Norwegian passengers can experience free inflight WiFi for the full duration of long-haul flights.
Video:
Norwegian became the first carrier to offer free WiFi on all European routes in 2011 and the first European airline to successfully offer live television in the skies in 2015. Since 2013, Norwegian has rapidly grown to become a leading long-haul airline offering more than 60 long-haul routes between Europe, the United States, South America and Asia serviced by modern, state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient aircraft.
Norwegian Air’s US route map for the summer of 2019:
More than 50 percent of Norwegianโs 787-9 Dreamliner fleet is expected to offer in-flight connectivity by 2020. The rollout of WiFi on the airlineโs Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will commence from mid-January 2019.
โWeโre continuously improving the inflight customer experience and weโre delighted to be the first airline offering free WiFi for the full duration of long-haul flights. Millions of Norwegian customers have already enjoyed free WiFi over the skies of Europe and now long-haul passengers can continue to rely on free and high-speed internet connectivity that will enhance and personalize their journeys. From being the first European airline to launch free WiFi on all short-haul flights followed by free live television, Norwegianโs rollout of high-quality inflight broadband services will offer business and leisure travelers even greater value at affordable fares,โ saidย Vice President Business Development Boris Bubresko, Norwegian.
Passengers will enjoy fast speed internet using the wireless inflight connectivity platform, CabinConnectโข by Collins Aerospace. Passengers will have highly secured access to content through CabinConnect including their favorite shows, inflight map and voice and messaging services through their devices.
CabinConnect uses the Inmarsat Global Aviation (GX) satellite network, specifically designed to offer passengers consistent, reliable high-speed global inflight connectivity. Inflight WiFi works via an antenna fitted to each aircraft fuselage that communicates with Inmarsatโs GX satellite network.
โWe are collaborating with Norwegian to achieve their vision of optimizing their aircraft and enterprise operations to address both cabin and flight deck requirements, as well as adding new capabilities for the future,โ said LeAnn Ridgeway, Vice President of Information Management Services at Collins Aerospace.
In 2019, five brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 19 737 MAX aircraft will join Norwegianโs fleet. Norwegian currently operates 24 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as part of its overall Dreamliner fleet of 32 aircraft.
Two packages โ Basic and Premium inflight WiFi
Norwegian economy and Premium customers on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and 737 MAX will have the choice of two inflight WiFi packages:
Basic option
The Basic option is free and will allow customers to browse the web, stay-up-to-date on social media, send and receive emails and instant messages with friends, family and colleagues by using their personal mobile phones, tablets and laptops on board for the full length of the flight.
Premium option
Fast enough to stream music, movies and television shows on Netflix, YouTube and Hulu among others, Norwegian will offer passengers a Premium high-speed WiFi option.
Premium high-speed WiFi will be available at an introductory price of $14.95 USD for a three-hour package. Customers can select their preferred currency when choosing the WiFi package.
In the U.S., Norwegian continues to be the fastest growing foreign airline, and will operate from 17 airports and currently offers more than 50 nonstop routes to Europe, as well as four routes from the U.S. to Guadeloupe and Martinique in the French Caribbean, and three routes out of Canada.
Response to Press Speculation on Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA
International Airlines Group (IAG) notes the recent press speculation that it is considering making an offer for Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (Norwegian).
IAG considers Norwegian to be an attractive investment and has acquired a 4.61 per cent ownership position in Norwegian (minority investment).
The minority investment is intended to establish a position from which to initiate discussions with Norwegian, including the possibility of a full offer for Norwegian.
IAG confirms that no such discussions have taken place to date, that it has taken no decision to make an offer at this time and that there is no certainty that any such decision will be made.
A further announcement will be made if appropriate.
Norwegian on February 21ย took delivery of its 100thย direct buy Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the last of this aircraft type in its fleet. Norwegian originally ordered 42 737-800 in 2007 and leased 26 of these aircraft between 2008 and 2016. The airline now has a total of 118 737-800 aircraft in its fleet.
โTodayโs delivery marks the end of an era for Norwegian. When we first introduced the Boeing 737-800 aircraft to our fleet 11 years ago, we did so because it was a modern aircraft with a record of reliability, fuel efficiency and low operating costs,โ said Bjรธrn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian. โNow, at the dawn of a new era, our fleet expansion will continue with more environmentally friendly aircraft as we prepare to take delivery of more than 100 Boeing 737 MAXย aircraft over the next few years.โ
In 2017, Norwegian took delivery of the first six of 110 Boeing 737 MAXย aircraft the airline has on order. These initial aircraft were used to launch the airlineโs service between the Northeastern United States and six European destinations, primarily in Ireland. The 737 MAXย is more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly than its predecessor, and after operating the aircraft since July 2017, Norwegian can confirm that this aircraft burns 18 percent less fuel than the 737-800. With this newer aircraft type, Norwegian is able to realise lower operating costs because of its fuel efficiency, seat capacity and overall range.
Norwegian will take delivery of 12 Boeing 737 MAXย aircraft in 2018, which will allow the airline to launch additional medium-haul routes throughout its global network.
Norwegian reported its full year and fourth quarter 2017 results.
The net loss was -299 million NOK (-ยฃ27.4 million) ($38.3 million) in 2017, while the earnings before interest, taxes and depreciations (EBITDA) was 60 million NOK (ยฃ5.5 million).
Significant costs related to increased fuel prices, wet lease and passenger care affect the results. Going into 2018, Norwegian is far better positioned with stronger bookings and a better staffing situation. Major investments have also been done in 2017 to prepare for future growth.
The companyโs total revenue was almost 31 billion NOK (ยฃ2.8 billion) – an increase of 19 per cent compared to 2016. A total of 32 brand new aircraft entered the fleet, contributing to a production growth (ASK) of 25 percent. The load factor was unchanged at 88 percent. A total of more than 33 million passengers chose to travel with Norwegian in 2017, an increase of 13 percent compared to previous year.
For the fourth quarter, the net loss was 919 million NOK (ยฃ84.4 million) ($117.9 million).
The total revenue was more than 7.8 billion NOK (ยฃ716.5 million), an increase of 30 percent from the same period last year, primarily driven by international growth as well as an increased traffic in the Nordics. Just over 8 million passengers flew with Norwegian this quarter, a growth of 12 percent. The load factor was 85.3 percent. Norwegian made major investments in the fourth quarter related to training of pilots and cabin crew on both its wide-body and narrow-body fleet to prepare for the growth in 2018.
โWe are not at all satisfied with the 2017 results. However, the year was also characterized by global expansion driven by new routes, high load factors and continued fleet renewal. Through our global strategy, we contribute to local economic boost and increased employment at our destinations, as well as ensuring that more people can afford to fly – not least between the continents. In 2017, we received several major international customer awards, which would never have been possible without our dedicated colleagues at Norwegian,โ said CEO Bjรธrn Kjos of Norwegian.
โNorwegian is far better positioned for 2018, with stronger bookings, a growing network of intercontinental routes complementing our vast European network and not least, a better staffing situation. Our major global expansion reaches its peak in the second half of 2018, when 32 of our 42 Dreamliners on order will have been put into service,โ Kjos continued.
Copyright Photo:ย Norwegian.com (Norwegian Air International) (Ireland) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 EI-FYC (msn 42825) (Jonathan Swift, Irish writer) DUB (Michael Kelly). Image: 939774.
Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerรธe on January 26 signed an interline agreement. The agreement includes all Widerรธeโs Public Service Obligation routes in Norway (listed below) and Norwegianโs domestic routes in Norway. Initially, the flights will only be available for purchase through Widerรธeโs channels, with an estimated launch during the first half of March.
The following Widerรธe routes are included in the agreement:
Oslo – Rรธros
All routes from Oslo and Bergen to Sogn og Fjordane and รrsta/Volda
All routes between Trondheim and Helgeland (Mo i Rana, Mosjรธen, Brรธnnรธysund og Sandnessjรธen)
Trondheim and Oslo to Rรธrvik and Namsos
All routes in Nordland, Troms og Finnmark, except from Bodรธ – Bardufoss
Direct routes from Oslo to Helgeland (Mo i Rana, Mosjรธen, Brรธnnรธysund, Sandnessjรธen) and Lofoten (Svolvรฆr, Leknes, Stokmarknes)
Norwegian Air Shuttle (Oslo) has announced its growth plans for this year from London Gatwick:
Low-cost airline Norwegian reveals its plans for 2018 as the award-winning carrierโs rapid expansion will take the airline to new heights. Norwegian will build upon its growth by launching new long-haul routes โ including its first service to South America, introducing a new enhanced Premium cabin and inflight Wi-Fi to new long-haul aircraft. Norwegian will also add more affordable flights to its most popular USA destinations.
Europeโs third largest low-cost carrier flew 5.8 million passengers from the UK and Ireland and launched more than 15 routes in 2017. Some of its successes include commencing groundbreaking transatlantic flights from Scotland, Belfast and Ireland to smaller US east coast cities and taking low-cost long-haul global with the worldโs longest low-cost route between London and Singapore.
Norwegianโs continued expansion is cleared for take-off and here are five developments to expect from the airline in 2018:
Norwegianโs first route toSouth America โ On February 14, 2018, Norwegian will launch its first route to South America with a brand new direct service from London Gatwick to Buenos Aires available from ยฃ299 ($406.20) one way. Four flights per week on the 787 Dreamliner will unlock more affordable travel to Argentina, offering travellers access to a unique mix of European and Latin American culture.
New enhanced Premium cabin to fly on the 787 Dreamliner – Norwegian will introduce an expanded Premium cabin which will have 60% more seats for passengers wanting an enhanced experience. The new 56 seat cabin configuration will offer passengers more than a metre of legroom and 11โ Panasonic monitors providing hours of complimentary inflight entertainment. The new cabin will be fitted on Norwegianโs final 20 787 Dreamliner orders set for delivery from February onwards.
Chicago and Austin to become newest US destinations โ Norwegian will add Chicago and Austin to its growing list of long-haul destinations from London Gatwick this spring. From ยฃ149.90 ($203.65) one way, holidaymakers and business travellers can fly daily to the Windy City which launches on March 25, 2018. From March 27, 2018, Norwegian will commence a new three weekly service to Austin, Texas, known for its world-famous cultural scene and for providing the backdrop to the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. Direct flights are available from ยฃ164.90 ($224.00) one way.
Introducing Wi-Fi on more state-of-the-art aircraft joining Norwegianโs fleet โ Norwegian will add 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its fleet in 2018 which are exclusively used on long-haul routes from London Gatwick. 10 of these new aircraft will feature the enhanced Premium cabin. Meanwhile 12 new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 aircraft will land in Norwegianโs fleet this year to service the carrierโs transatlantic flights from Edinburgh, Belfast and Ireland to the US east coast. Later in 2018, Norwegian will begin to rollout inflight Wi-Fi on long-haul routes that will keep passengers connected in the skies.
Daily Boston flights and planned increases for Oakland and LA โ Next spring, Norwegian will increase the number of flights on some of its most popular routes from London Gatwick. Boston increases from five weekly flights to a daily service with fares from ยฃ134.90 ($183.28) one way. Plans are underway to increase Oakland-San Francisco to a daily service and more flights are planned to Los Angeles, with twice-daily departures on select days of the week.
Copyright Photo:ย Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Norwegian Long Haul) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner EI-LNJ (msn 37308) (Ole Bull) LGW (SPA). Image: 932556.
You must be logged in to post a comment.