Norwegian is to operate its newest B737 Max aircraft from Gatwick airport to selected short-haul destinations this summer.
Until now the carrier has rostered the new-generation Boeing aircraft on transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
But with 12 of the aircraft being delivered during 2018, Norwegian is now rostering the B737 Max onto routes from Gatwick to Helsinki, Oslo and Bergen, “with further plans to expand to other European routes following future deliveries of this aircraft”.
The aircraft are configured with 189 economy seats with a standard seat pitch of “up to 30 inches”, rising to 38 inches in exit rows.
The carrier also plans to start the rollout of inflight wifi on the B737 Max later this year.
Norwegian has a total of 100 B737 Max aircraft on order, which will eventually replace older B737-800s in the carrier’s fleet.
Commenting on the news Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said:
“We’re committed to flying our customers in the newest aircraft in the skies and the addition of the Boeing 737 MAX at our London Gatwick hub complements our existing young, modern and environmentally friendly fleet.
“Our 737 MAX aircraft are less than a year old and our passengers will be able to experience a high-quality service in new slimmer seats inside spacious cabins that are quieter for our passengers and the environment.”
