Norse Atlantic Airways (N0, Oslo Gardermoen) anticipates that all 15 of its leased B787s (twelve B787-9s and three B787-8s) will be in operation between Europe and the United States by summer 2022, the chief executive of the Norwegian low-cost long-haul start-up, Bjørn Tore Larsen, revealed during a presentation of its Viking longship-inspired livery on August 10.
The company has applied for a Norwegian air operator’s certificate (AOC) and is also in the process of applying for a British AOC, he said, adding that it believes “demand for transatlantic travel will be back” by the end of the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2022.
“The management team and all nominated post holders required to obtain an air operator’s certificate are in place,” Norse Atlantic divulged in an accompanying statement.
The airline, which was founded in March and which includes some Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) veterans and a number of its former aircraft, aims to fly initially point-to-point from London, Oslo Gardermoen, and Paris to Fort Lauderdale International, Los Angeles International, and New York.
“Based on the current situation, we anticipate that all our 15 Dreamliners will be flying customers between Europe and the US next summer. We will launch our ticket sales approximately three months prior to first flight,” Larsen elaborated. “We strongly believe there is a need for a new and innovative airline serving the low-cost intercontinental market with modern, more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient aircraft as the world gradually reopens.”
The airline plans to start recruiting pilots and cabin crew at the end of 2021 and expects to have about 1,600 employees by summer 2022, all of whom will be directly and “permanently” employed. Once all of its fleet is operational, it hopes to be selling 10,000 tickets a day, Larsen said. The aircraft will have two classes, premium and economy.
Larsen, also Norse Atlantic’s majority shareholder, was co-founder of Norwegian’s staffing company OSM Aviation. As such, he stressed that “we have proactive industrial relations and have entered into an agreement with the largest cabin crew union in America, and we are also in talks with unions here in Europe to ensure that we have good, stable conditions for our crew.”
The company’s head office is in Arendal, southwest of Oslo, and offices in London and Fort Lauderdale “will represent the people on the ground.” Crew bases will be positioned in Florida and New York.
“We will be the only low-cost long-haul airline across the Atlantic, and that will be our position, we will do nothing but that,” Larsen said.
