Norwegian low-cost long-haul startup Norse Atlantic Airways (Norse) has said that it will not be offering any lie-flat business class seats on its transatlantic flights. During Simple Flyings aviation industry-focused event, “The Future Flying Forum,” Norse Atlantic Airways CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen said there would be no lie-flat seats in the airline’s premium class. Norse Atlantic Airways plans to offer two categories of service premium economy and economy.
While remaining tight-lipped about many aspects of what Norse will be like, the airline executive did say that costs will be a significant focus on how the airline operates. With that in mind and the fact that they will be flying former Norwegian Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the chances are that the seating will remain the same as when Norwegian had the jets.
Norse will have 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
Norse will have 12 Boeing 787-9s with 56 recliner seats in premium class and 282 seats standard seats in economy. Norse will also operate three of the smaller 787-8 models with 32 recliner seats in premium economy and 259 standard seats in economy. Again while not saying much, Larsen hinted that premium class passengers would not have to pay for meals or drinks and emphasized that both classes of service would offer good value for money.
When asked how the airline intended to compete with other airlines flying Europe to North America route, Larsen said by offering value for money fares and quality service. Originally Norse planned to start flying in late 2021, but that was all put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked for a start date during the interview, Larsen said there was no rush and that it would depend on how borders re-open. This means that Norse Atlantic Airways is not in a hurry to begin operations and would like to see how things progress with the pandemic before commencing flights.
Norse will only fly long-haul
Unlike Norwegian, which offered both short and long-haul flights, Norse Atlantic Airways will only operate long-haul flights on routes that it deems will be profitable. The goal is to make the airline as streamlined as possible and offer inexpensive fares for transatlantic flights that the public will like.
Calling it a people-first company Bjørn Tore Larsen said that he believes that if you take care of your employees, they will help ensure the airline’s success. He also said that working together with airline employee unions will help ensure a happy relationship between the airline and its employees.
Norse will fly from Oslo to three locations in the USA
When Norse decided to start flying (probably in late spring 2022, depending on the COVID-19 situation), Norse will fly from Oslo Airport (OSL) to:
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- New York Stewart (SWF)
- Ontario (ONT)
All three of these American airports are close to big city’s but have presumably lower costs for slots than airports in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) is approximately 60 miles from downtown Manhattan, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is in a huge South Florida catchment area 30 miles from Miami. Ontario International Airport is 39 miles from Los Angeles and will be the airport’s only transatlantic flight. Most people flying from ONT to Europe now connect in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
What do you think about Norse? Do you think they can be successful where other LCCs have failed? Please tell us what you think in the comments.
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