While shares sank at rival SAS this week, they soared at Norwegian Air, after the low-fare carrier announced a deal to lease two of Boeing’s new large aircraft called the 787-8 Dreamliner.
High-flying Norwegian boss Bjørn Kjos, a pilot himself, signed the contract to take delivery of the aircraft in the fall of 2012. He may take on four more, with plans to fly the first two from Oslo to New York and Bangkok.
Kjos called the jets “aircraft for the future,” with high passenger comfort, low operating costs and high fuel efficiency that makes them “without doubt the most environmentally friendly aircraft we could choose.”
Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) reported that Norwegian Air plans to spin off its long-haul flight operations into a separate company, which will be among the first in the world to offer passengers the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Kjos called their addition to the fleet “an important milestone” for the company he founded several years ago.
Views and News staff
