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Norwegian Air Shuttle

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For other uses, see Norwegian (disambiguation).
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA
File:Norwegian Air Shuttle logo.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
DY NAX NORSHUTTLE
Founded22 January 1993
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programNorwegian Reward
Fleet size54
Destinations94
HeadquartersDiamanten
Fornebu, Bærum, Norway
Key peopleBjørn Kjos (CEO)
Bjørn H. Kise (Chairman)
Websitewww.norwegian.com

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (OSE: NAS), trading as Norwegian, is the second-largest airline in Scandinavia and the third-largest low-cost carrier in Europe. In 2010, it transported 13.0 million people. As of January 2011, Norwegian operates a total fleet of 53 aircraft; 23 Boeing 737-300s and 30 Boeing 737-800s. The airline has bases at Oslo Airport, Copenhagen, Stockholm-Arlanda, Helsinki-Vantaa, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger. It offers a high-frequency domestic flight schedule within Scandinavia and to typical business destinations such as London and Helsinki, combined with a low-frequency service to international destinations from its focus cities.

Norwegian has announced the start-up of long-haul operations in 2012 using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The company has firm orders for two Dreamliners, but is negotiating for another 4-6 aircraft and targeting a fleet of 10-15 Dreamliners in the medium term. The launch routes will be from the Scandinavian capitals to New York and Bangkok.

Operations

File:LN NOD Take Off.jpg
Boeing 737-800 LN-NOD during take-off from Split airport
File:LN DYC.JPG.jpg
Air-to-air photo of a Norwegian Boeing 737-8JP/W (LN-DYC) at 38,000 feet

Norwegian is a low-cost airline. The company is the second largest airline in Scandinavia, and has a route portfolio that stretches across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East.

The company’s turnover was in excess of NOK 7.3 billion in 2009. Norwegian employs about 2,000 people.[2] The company is headed by chief executive officer and largest owner Bjørn Kjos and the board is chaired by Bjørn H. Kise.[3] The airline is a member of European Low Fares Airline Association and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.


Norwegian operates aircraft with all-economy class seating. Surcharge are taken for on-board food and drinks, check-in baggage, payment by credit card and other non-core services.[4] The airlines runs two frequent flyer programs: Norwegian Reward is for travelers, who earn cash point based on a percent of cash paid for tickets and the ticket class. Corporate Reward allows companies to redeem cash points on a similar basis. By law, frequent flyer points cannot be collected on domestic flights in Norway.[5]

All flight operations are performed under one single Air Operators Certificate (AOC) (ICAO airline designator NAX). The Group also held one Swedish AOC (ICAO airline designator NDC) up until 2009, but the double AOC operation was discontinued for efficiency purposes.[6] The main technical base is at Stavanger, although heavy maintenance (C/D checks) and engine maintenance are put out on tender.[citation needed] Norwegian purchases all aircraft ground handling from third parties, in Norway, these are Røros Flyservice and Norport Handling.[citation needed]


Diamanten, the company's head office

The Norwegian Group consists of the parent company Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA and the fully-owned subsidiaries Norwegian Air Shuttle Polska Sp.zo.o and Norwegian Air Shuttle Sweden AB. All flights are operated by the parent company Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, the subsidiaries manages personell, sales and marketing within certain geographical areas. Additionally, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA owns 100% of the telephone company Call Norwegian AS, 99.9% of NAS Asset Management, 100% of NAS Asset Management Norway AS and 20% of Norwegian Finans Holding ASA (Bank Norwegian AS).


The company's head office is located in Diamanten, a building at Fornebu, Bærum outside Oslo.[7] Previously the airline had its head office inside another building in Fornebu.[8] In February 2010, Norwegian Air Shuttle bought Diamanten, the former Braathens and later SAS Norway head office.[7]

Destinations

Main article: Norwegian Air Shuttle destinations
File:Norwegian network OCT 2010.jpg
Map of Norwegian's network
Map of Norwegian's domestic routes in Norway
Countries served by Norwegian


Norwegian has a route portfolio which spans across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East, serving both business and leisure markets. In total the airline operates 238 routes to 95 destinations in 27 countries on three continents.

Domestic, intra-Scandinavian and typical European business destinations have the most frequencies. The busiest route in Norwegians network is the Oslo to Bergen operation with 13 daily round-trips followed by the Oslo to Trondheim route with 12 daily round-trips. Norwegian’s largest non-Scandinavian operation is to London Gatwick with up to 14 daily round-trips.

Typical leisure destinations in Southern Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East are typically served once a day or less. Norwegians longest route is from Oslo to Dubai, a distance of 5,133 kilometres, which is also the second longest scheduled 737 route in the world.

Domestic Network

Norwegian operates an extensive domestic network within Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

For topographic and demographic reasons, the domestic market in Norway is one of the largest air travel markets in the Nordic region, and is also significant in European terms. The destinations served by Norwegian are generally divided by mountain ranges, unsheltered plains and fjords. Roads and railroads are therefore of less than satisfactory quality and connections are unpredictable due to weather during mid-winter. Combined with vast distances, air travel is by far the most efficient mode of transportation.

The Finnish and Swedish domestic markets are to a large extent characterized by equivalent properties to that of the Norwegian domestic market. Distances within Denmark are generally short and the landscape flat, but the country is divided by water making rail and road distances long and thus air transportation efficient.

International Network

Intra- Scandinavian routes, and in particular “the capital triangle” between Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen, is attractive due to extensive traffic both of business and leisure travellers. Other modes of transportation are generally inefficient and slow between these cities.

Scandinavia’s geographical placing in the far north corner of Europe also makes air travel the most efficient mode of transportation to continental Europe. Traffic to continental Europe is further enhanced by the demographics in the Scandinavian market with considerable international trade and an extensive tradition for leisure travel.

Current Fleet

As of December 2010, the Norwegian Air Shuttle fleet consists of 54 single-aisle jet aircraft with an average age of 9.1 years.[9][10] The company has opted to modernize the fleet with state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. A total of 73 such aircraft will be delivered from 2008 to 2014.

Norwegian Air Shuttle fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Options Passengers Notes
Boeing 737-300 24 0 0 148 4 retrofitted with winglets
To be phased out
Boeing 737-800 31 54 27 186
189		 Winglet equipped
All to be fitted with 186 seats
Boeing 787-8 0 2 0 TBA
Total 55 56 27

The -800 are equipped with winglets and CFM 56-7B26 engines. All -800s have a longer range than the -300, allowing 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km; 2,800 mi). they are the only craft used to the Middle East, Africa and the Canary Islands; otherwise both types are used throughout the network, plus all domestic services in Sweden..[11] In 2010, Norwegian Air Shuttle will receive 13 new Boeing -800. For 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 the corresponding figures are 14, 10, 10, and 5, respectively.[citation needed]

In November 2010 Norwegian announced an order for two Boeing 787-8 long-haul aircraft while disclosing that it is negotiating for an additional 4-6 aircraft of the type. The first Dreamliner will be delivered in 2012.

Norwegian's aircraft livery is white with a signal red nose. The vertical tail plane feature portraits of historically distinctive Norwegians, Swedes and Danes which toghether with the red nose signals the airline's change maker spirit. [12] Norwegian has also operated a single aircraft in the an advertisement livery for the insurance company Silver.[13]

History

The routes operated on behalf of Braathens in Western Norway during the 1990s

Regional airline

Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) was founded on 22 January 1993 to take over the regional airline services produced by Busy Bee for Braathens in Western Norway. Busy Bee, founded in 1966, was a subsidiary of Braathens that operated a fleet of Fokker 50 aircraft for charter. This included the network of regional services between cities on the West Coast operated on wet lease for the mother company. Following the bankruptcy, NAS took over three leased Fokker 50 aircraft, and started operating from Bergen Airport, Flesland to Haugesund Airport, Karmøy, as well as from Bergen to Molde Airport, Årø or Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget and onwards to Trondheim Airport, Værnes. The company was established and owned by former Busy Bee employees and initially had a work force of fifty.[14][15] It was based in Bergen, bus later established a technical base in Stavanger.[16]

From 1 April 1994, the airline also began service from Bergen to Ålesund Airport, Vigra.[17] In 1995, the company received its fourth Fokker 50s, and had a revenue of NOK 86.6 million and a profit of NOK 2.9 million. It flew 50 daily services.[18] In 1996, the airline bid for the public service obligation (PSO) rotues along the West Coast in cooperation with Tyrolean Airways, but lost the tender to the incumbent Widerøe.[19] NAS wanted NOK 267 million for the routes, while Widerøe only bid NOK 113 million.[20]

Bjørn Kjos is Norwegian's largest owner and chief executive officer

By 1999, the company had six Fokker 50s and flew 500,000 passengeres on 20,000 flights.[16][21] The company had a revenue of NOK 172 million and a profit of NOK 13 million. NAS submitted a new bid for the PSO routes in 1999, but did not win any.[22] On 2 June 2000, NAS bought the helicopter operator Lufttransport from Helikopter Service.[21] In 2000, the NAS fleet was expanded to seven Fokker 50s. The same year, Braathens threatened to terminate their agreements with NAS from 2003, and purchase smaller aircraft themselves for the routes and others.[16] From 2 January 2001, several Braathens routes were terminated, including the NAS-operated services from Kristiansund to Trondheim and Molde. The routes from Bergen to Haugesund were reduced from five to three round trips, and the Bergen–Molde–Trondheim route was reduced from four to three.[23] The cuts forced the airline to retire on of its aircraft.[24]

In October 2001, NAS failed in bidding for the PSO route from Bodø to Røst.[25] On 2 November, NAS bought the Swedish helicopter operator Ostermann.[26] On 7 January 2002, NAS took over the responsibility for the route from Stavanger to Newcastle, flying two round trips per day. This was the first route where the airline did not wet lease the aircraft to Braathens, but instead operated the flights on their own risk. On the same day, Widerøe started a single round trip on the route.[27]

After Braathens was bought by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in November 2001, NAS attempted to negotiate a deal where they took over the operations on a permanent basis for their own risk. This was rejected by SAS, who wanted their subsidiary SAS Commuter or Widerøe to take over. NAS had a 18-month cancellation time on their arrangement.[28]

Low-cost carrier

Boeing 737-300 taxiing to the runway, with Henrik Ibsen fin
A Boeing 737-800 from Norwegian takes off

Following the decision of SAS and Braathens to merge, NAS announced in April 2002 that it was planning to start domestic scheduled services as a low-cost carrier on the most trafficked routes. The company stated that this was conditional that the authorities banned frequent flyer programs and hindered SAS from cross-subsidizing routes to underbid Norwegian on those routes.[29]

From 1 September 2002, the airline re-branded as Norwegian.[30]

The airline has opened a second hub, at Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport in Poland, flying to Central European destinations. There are two Boeing 737 operating from Warsaw.[31] Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA announced 24 April 2007 that they had bought 100% of the Swedish low-cost airline FlyNordic; becoming the largest low-cost airline in Scandinavia. As part of the deal with the former owner, Finnair got a 5% stake in Norwegian.[32]

On 23 August 2007, Norwegian announced that it would initiate scheduled operations from 18 February 2008 at the new Moss Airport, Rygge south of Oslo,[33] with the military airport also opening for commercial traffic and located at about the same distance from Oslo as Gardermoen. Norwegian's initial 14 scheduled routes from Rygge were Alicante, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Bergen, Budapest, Istanbul, London, Málaga, Marrakech, Palanga/Klaipeda, Szczecin, Valencia and Warsaw. Norwegian claims flights from Rygge will generally be cheaper than those from Gardermoen.[34] In February 2008 Norwegian announced their first destination outside Europe, non-stop to Dubai from Oslo-Gardermoen and Stockholm-Arlanda.

After the bankruptcy of competitor Sterling Airlines, Norwegian announced that they would open a new hub at Copenhagen Airport and service the most profitable routes. Flights to Aalborg and Stockholm as well as additional flights to Oslo would start immediately, with flights to London, Amsterdam and Rome to follow "shortly after".

On 30 August 2007, Norwegian ordered 42 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with an option for 42 more, an order worth US$ 3.1 billion.[35] The planes will enter the fleet between 2008 and 2014, approximately 10 each year. The first 737-800 arrived at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Norway, on 26 January 2008. It was registered LN-NOB, and has a tail picture of the Norwegian composer and pianist Edvard Grieg. Norwegian Air Shuttle ordered winglets on the new aircraft, and it was said the aircraft would be stationed at Moss Airport, though most of its flights operate out of Oslo. The plane made its first scheduled flight on 1 February. LN-NOC, which was the second 737-800 that was entering the fleet, was bought used from Air Europa. A milestone was achieved on April 17, 2009, when Norwegian received LN-NOL, the 6000th 737 ever built.[36]

In April 2010, Norwegian started flights from Oslo-Gardermoen and Stockholm to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. During early 2011 Norwegian will station three aircraft stationed there and will introduce domestic flights to Oulu Airport and Rovaniemi Airport on 31 March 2011. Starting in May, additional flights will being to nine additional international destinations.[37][38]

In 2009, stated that they intended to start flights from Oslo to New York and Bangkok, which would require the purchase of new intercontinental aircraft. In 2010, Norwegian stated that they were considering up to 15 intercontinental destinations from Scandinavia, and would also consider services to South America and Africa.[39] On 8 November 2010, Norwegian announced that they had signed and to lease two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners from International Lease Finance Corporation, with delivery in 2012. The company stated that they were negotiating the purchase of additional aircraft, and that they were hoping to order a total of seven Dreamliners.[40]

Historic fleet

Norwegian previously operated seven McDonnell Douglas MD-80 inherited from FlyNordic

From 1993 to 2002, the company solely operated Fokker F-50 turbo-prop aircraft primarily as a commuter airline, having a total fleet of six in 2002. The company ceased all F-50 operations at the end of 2003 in order to focus on the Boeing 737-300 jet operations and sold the last three of the Fokker F-50 in early 2004. For a limited period in the early years of the 737 operation Norwegian operated a 737-500 as an interim solution while waiting for 737-300 deliveries. Following the acquisition of Swedish low cost airline FlyNordic in 2007, Norwegian inherited eight MD-80 aircraft. The last of the MD-80 aircraft was phased out two years later.

Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Ref
Boeing 737-500 1 2002 2003 [11][41]
Fokker 50 7 1992 2004 [11][42]
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 5 2008 2009 [11][43]
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 3 2008 2009 [11][43]

References

  1. ^ http://www.hangar.no/index.php/permalink/49267.html%7Ctitle=Norwegian flytter basefly fra Rygge til Gardermoen |publisher=Hangar.no |accessdate=22 January 2011
  2. ^ "Facts". Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  3. ^ "Management". Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved 5 March 2010. [dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Service". Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved 5 March 2010. [dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Norwegian Frequent Flyer Programme". Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Operations". Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved 5 March 2010. [dead link‍]
  7. ^ a b Schmidt, Øystein (25 February 2010). "Kjos klinker til med realt kupp". Hegnar Online (in Norwegian). Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  8. ^ Home page. Norwegian Air Shuttle. 13 January 2008. Retrieved on 7 May 2010. "Norwegian Air Shuttle - Postboks 115, 1330 Fornebu - Besøksadresse: Oksenøyveien 10A Fornebu."
  9. ^ VG.no article
  10. ^ Norwegian Air Shuttle fleet list at planespotters.net
  11. ^ a b c d e "Fleet". Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  12. ^ "Max Manus halehelt på Norwegians nyeste fly". Boarding.no (in Norwegian). 11 March 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  13. ^ "Silver og Norwegian har inngått et nytt og spennende samarbeid: Lanserer Norges første logojet" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Air Shuttle. 14 September 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  14. ^ "Norwegian Air Shuttle på ruinene etter Busy Bee" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 27 January 1993.
  15. ^ Valderhaug, Rune (28 January 1993). "Nytt selskap flyr fra Bergen". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian).
  16. ^ a b c Larsen, Trygve (13 October 2000). "Vil fly selv". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian).
  17. ^ Valderhaug, Rune (20 January 1994). "Braathen vil ikke fly direkte Bergen Nord-Norge" (in Norwegian). p. 6.
  18. ^ Sæthre, Lars N. (24 August 1996). "Nye aktører kjemper om Widerøe-nett". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 27.
  19. ^ Lillesund, Geir (1 November 1996). "Widerøes med enerett på kortbanenettet" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  20. ^ Sæthre, Lars N. (2 November 1996). "Widerøe gjorde rent bord". Aftenposten (in Norwegian).
  21. ^ a b "Norwegian Air Shuttle kjøper Lufttransport AS" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 2 June 2000.
  22. ^ Larsen, Trygve (8 February 2000). "Helt propell". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). p. 13.
  23. ^ Lillesund, Geir (15 November 2000). "Braathens fortsetter omleggingen - kutter kortruter" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency.
  24. ^ Pedersen, Eivind (16 November 2000). "Derfor stuper Braathens". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 8.
  25. ^ "Fem flyselskap vil drive flyruten Røst-Bodø" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 23 October 2001.
  26. ^ "Norsk selskap skal fly legehelikopter i Sverige" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 2 November 2001.
  27. ^ Dahl, Flemming (7 January 2002). "Svenneprøve for lite flyselskap Luftkamp over Nordsjøen". aftenposten (in Norwegian).
  28. ^ Larsen, Trygve (11 January 2002). "NAS inn for landing". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian).
  29. ^ Dahl, Flemming (17 April 2002). "Lavprisselskap kan ta av". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 23.
  30. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-10. p. 57.
  31. ^ Quartely report 3rd quarter 2006
  32. ^ Norwegian to strengthen Scandinavian network with FlyNordic acquisition ATW Daily News, April 25, 2007.
  33. ^ Aftenposten: Norwegian Air plans new southeast hub
  34. ^ Aftenposten: Rygge success for Norwegian (Norwegian)
  35. ^ Reuters: Norwegian Air places $3.1 bln Boeing order
  36. ^ "Norwegian får jubileumsflyet fra Boeing - Her er 737 nummer 6.000". 5 April 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  37. ^ Kaur, Simmi (5 October 2010). "Norwegian åpner ny base". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  38. ^ "Norwegian åpner base og satser innenriks i Finland" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Air Shuttle. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  39. ^ Kaspersen, Line (22 September 2010). "Norwegians "hemmelige" langdistanseplaner". Dagnes Næringsliv (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  40. ^ Kaspersen, Line (8 November 2010). "Her er Norwegians New York-fly". Dagnes Næringsliv (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  41. ^ Airfleets. "Boeing 737 in Norwegian Air Shuttle history". Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  42. ^ Airfleets. "Fokker 50 in Norwegian Air Shuttle history". Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  43. ^ a b Airfleets. "McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 in Norwegian Air Shuttle history". Retrieved 17 September 2009.
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