Norwegian will launch seven new routes between Scandinavia and the US in spring 2014.
The airline will operate services from Stockholm to Los Angeles and San Francisco; Copenhagen to Los Angeles and New York; and Oslo to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando.
Norwegian will deploy a B787 Dreamliner on the flights to Los Angeles (LAX), Oakland-San Francisco (OAK) and Orlando (MCO).
The announcement comes four months after the airline's first long-haul flights and a month after Business Traveller revealed how Norwegian has been losing its Asia Pacific price advantage to Gulf carriers (see news, July 26)
The move also means that from next year Norwegian will be the only carrier offering non-stop flights on all seven routes, apart from Copenhagen to New York which is already served by SAS.
Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos said: "I'm very happy to announce the launch of three new intercontinental destinations. The major traffic streams currently go between the US and Europe and there's great demand for high quality flights at a low fare between the two continents."
The new flights are as follows:
- From March 2, Norwegian will operate two weekly flights between Stockholm and LAX on Wednesdays and Sundays. From April 30, the service will become thrice weekly with departures on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- From May 3, the airline will operate two weekly flights — on Tuesdays and Saturdays — between Stockholm and Oakland-San Francisco
- From March 1, Norwegian will fly two weekly services between Copenhagen and Los Angeles on Tuesdays and Saturdays. From May 1, this will increase to three with departures on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
- From February 28, the carrier will operate two weekly flights — on Mondays and Fridays — between Copenhagen and New York JFK. From April 30, this will increase to four services, departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
- From June 1, there will be a weekly service between Oslo and Los Angeles every Sunday
- From May 28, Norwegian will operate a thrice weekly service between Oslo and Oakland-San Francisco on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- From May 29, there will be two weekly flights between Oslo and Orlando on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Norwegian currently operates six weekly flights between Scandinavia and New York as well as five weekly flights between Scandinavia and Bangkok.
In November, the airline will begin flying from Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen to Fort Lauderdale.
Graham Smith
