Aviation News - February 2016 UK

in Europe for the MAX 8 when the first is

delivered in 2017. Asked why the company

opted for a split buy of 737 MAXs and

A320neos, CEO Bjørn Kjos told Aviation

News: “Although the first 737 MAX 8 will

arrive in 2017 we’ll get a huge number of

MAXs in 2018, 2019 and 2020, so they’re a

little bit delayed compared to the neo. We’ll

need more aircraft in 2016 and 2017. We

couldn’t get enough MAXs or neos.”

With neither Boeing nor Airbus able to

deliver the number of aircraft in the years

Norwegian wanted, it opted for products from

both companies to meet its demand.

The airline established a base at London/

Gatwick in 2013 along with a subsidiary,

Arctic Aviation Assets, based in Dublin, to

manage Norwegian’s fleet of aircraft. Part of

its remit is to lease aircraft out, such as a deal

announced on December 18 for HK Express

of Hong Kong to take 12 A320neos.

Norwegian was named ‘Best European

Low-Cost Carrier’ in 2013 at the Skytrax

World Airline Awards and more accolades

have followed since.

LONG-HAUL

Norwegian launched long-haul services on May

30, 2013 from Stockholm and Oslo to Bangkok

and New York’s John F Kennedy International

Airport – with Fort Lauderdale connected

from Stockholm and Copenhagen. Delays to

delivery of its first Dreamliners required the

carrier to begin the services with two leased

Hi Fly Airbus A340-300s. The first Dreamliner

arrived a few weeks later on June 28.

Norwegian’s 787-8s have two classes

• with 32 seats in Premium with a seat
  pitch of 46in (117cm) and 259 in Economy
  with a pitch varying from 31in (79cm) to
  32in (81cm). The 737s have just Economy
  Class, with a pitch of 30in (76cm).
  While a number of airlines have tried
  to crack low-cost long-haul in the past, it
  seems that aircraft like the Airbus A350 and
  Dreamliner have the capabilities to make this
  type of operation successful. In Norwegian’s
  case, the 787’s faster speed, reduced fuel
  consumption and lower maintenance costs
  compared to older airliners made long-haul
  financially feasible.

For its Bangkok services, Norwegian

hired Asian cabin crew. Kjos explained:

“The reason is that’s where the [majority

of] traffic will originate in the future. Eighty

percent of the traffic in the long-haul

operation will come from Asia.” The cockpit

crew remain European to comply with

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

requirements.

The long-haul network has grown with

flights from Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale, Los

Angeles, New York, Orlando and Puerto

Rico. This year will see new services from

Gatwick to Boston (March 27) followed by

Oakland International Airport (May 12) for

San Francisco.

The Copenhagen long-haul network has

also grown to include Bangkok, Orlando,

Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Puerto

Rico and St Croix in the US Virgin Islands;

and destinations from Oslo/Gardermoen

now include Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, New

York and Puerto Rico. There are also flights

from Stockholm/Arlanda to Oakland and

Puerto Rico.

60 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft February 2016

A Dreamliner lifts off from Gatwick. Norwegian uses the type for services from the London airport to Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York,

Orlando and Puerto Rico. Services to Boston and Oakland International Airport, for San Francisco, will be added this year. David Dyson/Norwegian

Economy class (above) and Premium (right) on Norwegian’s Dreamliners. Norwegian

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