The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority has issued an air operator’s certificate (AOC) this week to Arendal, Norway, based budget carrier Norse Atlantic Airways. Clearing the start-up airline to commence transatlantic flights in spring 2022.
“We would like to thank Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority for a constructive and professional process. We are now one important step closer to launching our attractive and affordable flights between Europe and the U.S. in spring next year,” said CEO and founder Bjørn Tore Larsen of Norse.
“We’ve had a good and constructive dialogue with Norse throughout the process of issuing a Norwegian AOC. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to a continued fruitful relationship going forward,” said Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authorities of Norway, Lars E. de Lange Kobberstad.
An AOC is the approval granted by a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and systems in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public.
“I would also like to commend my colleagues at Norse for their outstanding efforts getting the important AOC in place,” Bjørn Tore Larsen added.
Norse plans to start commercial operation in spring 2022 and the first flights will depart from Oslo to selected cities in the U.S. The firm plans to serve the intercontinental market with modern, fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Among other destinations, it will serve New York, Florida, Paris, London and Oslo. If all goes well with the start-up phase, the airline expects that its fleet of 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners will be in the air plying the highly competitive transatlantic market by summer 2022.
Norse Atlantic Airways will create many new jobs in the air and on the ground both in Europe and the U.S. The company’s employees will be directly employed by the airline, unlike its forerunner Norwegian, the firm says it will offer competitive wages and benefits as well as collective agreements. Norse Atlantic has signed pre-hire agreements with the Association of Flight Attendants, the largest cabin union in the U.S., and the British Airline Pilots Association. The company is also in dialogue with pilot and cabin unions in other countries, including Norway. In total, the firm expects to have approximately 1,600 employees by summer 2022, based in the U.S., UK, and Norway.
Bjørn Tore Larsen commented: "Since our launch in March, there has been tremendous interest in Norse from the travelling public, people who want to be a part of the team, airports, tourism organizations, media, politicians, and authorities – on both sides of the Atlantic. We are grateful for that interest, which translates to a very motivated Team Norse”. “Surveys show that what people have missed the most during one and a half years of lock-down is travel and new experiences. We believe that a new era is coming as the global vaccine program is completed. People will once again go on vacation, visit friends and family, and travel for business. Norse Atlantic Airways will be there to offer attractive and affordable flights to the leisure traveller and the cost-conscious business traveller”.
Many of the airlines key management previously worked for Norwegian Air Shuttle and bring a wealth of experience with them. Including Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer, Maria Borg, VP, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Damion Burton Cabin and Security Lead Instructor, Dean Kitchen, Lead pilot instructor, Derek Spicer, Vice President Flight Training, Stian Hajem Skaar, Vice President Flight Operations, Tomas Hesthammer, Senior Vice President, Ahmad Abu-Nima, Vice President Technical Operations, Andrew Hodges, Chief Commercial Officer, James Collins, Vice President Ground Operations, David Thomas, Accountable Manager, Greg Warner, Line Check Pilot, Kane Hurley, Head of Product Development, Inflight and Ancillary, Harriet Rafter, VP Compliance Monitoring UK and Mark Visser, Senior Network Manager among others.
Good luck Norse Atlantic Airways....
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