Norse Atlantic Airways made its maiden flight on Tuesday between Oslo and New York. The route is operated with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets configured with 338 seats, 56 in premium economy and 282 in economy.
The inaugural flight departed the Norwegian capital at 7:50 pm and landed at John F. Kennedy Airport at 10:00 pm local time. Starting July 4th, frequency will become daily, with one-way fares starting at around $100.
“Norse Atlantic Airways has now entered a new chapter, we are delivering on our promise to offer affordable value and a quality traveling experience to all. Our first Norse Atlantic Airways flight to New York from Oslo is the culmination of months of preparation and hard work by dedicated colleagues across all departments,” said Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways.
Norway’s new low-cost airline follows in the footsteps of Norwegian Air, which once operated a long-haul network but succumbed to low profit margins and currently only flies within Europe.
Norse Atlantic, however, intends to diversify its hubs, operating flights not only from Oslo but also from Gatwick, in London, as well as Berlin.
The carrier’s next routes will be Oslo-Fort Laudardale on June 18, Oslo-Orlando on July 5, and Oslo-Los Angeles starting August 9.
Three days later, the first flight between London and New York will take off, with daily flights. Norse currently has a fleet of nine 787-9s, but is expected to receive two more of the type soon, in addition to three smaller-capacity 787-8s.
