The U.S. Department of Transportation approved Norse Atlantic Airways application for transatlantic flights

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) approved Norse Atlantic Airways’ application for the operation of flights between Norway/The European Union and the United States.  

“We are thrilled by the Department of Transportation’s approval of our affordable transatlantic flights. This significant milestone brings Norse one step closer to launching affordable and more environmentally friendly service to customers traveling between Europe and the United States. We appreciate the USDOT's constructive and prompt approach, and we look forward to working with them in the months ahead,” said Norse CEO and Founder Bjørn Tore Larsen.  

Norse Atlantic will deliver many jobs to American workers, including hundreds of U.S.-based flight attendants, and will partner with local communities, tourism organizations, businesses, and labor to stimulate economic growth in regions throughout the United States and Europe. In May, Norse Atlantic reached a historic pre-hire agreement with the U.S. Association of Flight Attendants.  

“Our people will be our competitive advantage. We are building a high-performance culture and creating an environment where we value diversity, ensuring that all colleagues feel a sense of belonging. We look forward to start recruiting our new colleagues in the U.S.,” Larsen said. 

Wide support for affordable transatlantic flights 

Since its inception, Norse Atlantic has received wide support from communities, airport authorities, and labor organizations on both sides of the Atlantic.  

 “We are grateful for the support from community and labor leaders who are enthusiastic about the service we will deliver. We believe that transatlantic travel will resume with full force once the pandemic is behind us. People will want to explore new destinations, visit friends and family and travel for business. Norse will be there to offer attractive and affordable flights on our more environmentally friendly Boeing 787 Dreamliners to both the leisure and cost-conscious business traveler,” Larsen added. 

In December 2021, Norse received its Air Operator's Certificate by Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority and took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. 

Norse plans to start commercial operation in spring 2022 with the first flights connecting Oslo to select cities in the U.S.