Norse Atlantic took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on Monday, December 20, bringing it closer to its long-awaited first transatlantic flight in the spring of the northern hemisphere in 2022.
The aircraft arrived at Gardermoen International Airport in Oslo. The aircraft will be named in honor of popular national parks, and this first aircraft has the registration OE-LNY and is called “Rondane” (one of Norway’s largest national parks).
Norse’s projected fleet comprises 12 Boeing 787-9s and three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Upcoming deliveries will continue through April and all aircraft will be initially based in Oslo.
“The delivery of our first Dreamliner marks an important milestone for us at Team Norse, as it brings our launch of attractive and affordable transatlantic flights one step closer,” said Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO, and founder of Norse Atlantic Airways.
The Boeing 787-9s will have a configuration of 56 premium seats and 282 in the economy class and the Boeing 787-8s will offer 32 in premium and 259 in economy. Larsen has not provided details of how the flights will be serviced; Norwegian media reports indicate that they will most likely remain the same as Norwegian’s, where free services were offered in Premium and travelers flying in the lower class will have the option to purchase those services separately.
Following the extinction of Norwegian Long Haul, there was a void left in long-haul low-cost flights across the Atlantic. Westjet and Jetblue have taken over the transatlantic routes, but are not considered to be an identical model to Norwegian. Recently, PLAY announced its landing in the United States from Iceland using narrow-body aircraft.
Several ex-Norwegian executives are leading Norse’s project, the company plans to first launch with flights to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Ontario (ONT), and New York/Stewart (SWF) from Oslo, Paris, and London.
“We believe transatlantic travel will be resuming with full strength once the pandemic has passed. People will want to explore new destinations, visit friends and family, and travel for business,” Larsen concluded.
