NORWEGIAN AIR LAUNCHES £69 FLIGHTS FROM UK TO NEW YORK



Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA on Thursday announced plans to offer transatlantic flights on 10 new routes between the United States and Europe starting at £69, ramping up pressure on U.S. and European rivals. Norwegian's £69 fares will be for one-way tickets from UK and Irish destinations to New York, Providence and Hartford in the United States.


"I pay for what I want, you pay for what you want. We don't pay for what everybody else on the plane wants," Norwegian Air spokesman Anders Lindström said of its fares.高松から上海航空券


The burgeoning competition on transatlantic routes has also prompted action by more established European airlines.British Airways-owner IAG is planning to start low-cost transatlantic flights from Barcelona this year and CEO Willie Walsh said this month that the Norwegian carrier's model had pushed IAG to look at new ways to operate. IAG reports annual results on Friday.


Meanwhile, Air France, part of Franco-Dutch group Air France-KLM, is also pushing forward plans for a new low-cost unit, in a project dubbed Boost, while Lufthansa is expanding long-haul budget flying through its Eurowings business.


Norwegian Air's expansion strategy has helped it to more than double revenue since 2012. Last year revenue rose 16 percent to 26 billion Norwegian crowns ($3.12 billion) and the company has placed orders for 260 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, which it will receive over a period of several years.


The company said that thousands of one-way tickets will be offered at £69 (or $65 starting from the US), with fares on the next pricing tier starting at $99.