108-531: Icelandair is the flag carrier of Iceland , with its corporate head office on the property of Reykjavík Airport in the capital city Reykjavík . It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates to destinations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean from its main hub at Keflavík International Airport . The geographical position of Iceland is convenient for one-stop transatlantic flights via
216-488: A buy on board service is provided for the Economy classes. The airline offered Economy Comfort until April 2018. All of Icelandair's aircraft are equipped with a free-of-charge VOD in-flight entertainment system that includes seatback, and touch-screen monitors for each passenger. On 1 April 2013 Icelandic band Sigur Rós debuted its latest album, Valtari , exclusively onboard Icelandair's aircraft, two months before
324-644: A public company or a state-owned enterprise , while others have been completely privatized . The aviation industry has also been gradually deregulated and liberalized, permitting greater freedoms of the air particularly in the United States and in the European Union with the signing of the Open Skies agreement. One of the features of such agreements is the right of a country to designate multiple airlines to serve international routes with
432-411: A "New Norwegian", further planning to reinstate additional aircraft and operations as demand would allow, and to ultimately operate between 110 and 120 aircraft, down from the 160+ aircraft it operated before the crisis. Shares in the airline continued to decrease in value in anticipation of the airline converting its debt to equity, which occurred on 20 May 2020, resulting in companies leasing aircraft to
540-506: A dark blue stripe, the same colours as the flag of Norway . The vertical stabilizer or tailfin is painted with a red tip and a dark blue stripe underneath containing the airline's website, with the rest of the talfin either blank white, or featuring depictions of historically significant individuals from across Europe and the Americas . Special liveries featured on Norwegian's aircraft include or previously included promotional liveries for
648-536: A governmental loan from the Norwegian state, including the conversion of its debt and leasing commitments to equity , its intention to reduce its active fleet to seven Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating solely on domestic routes within Norway, and to postpone operations outside of Norway (including to the rest of Europe and intercontinental long-haul flights) until March 2021. The airline presented these plans as creating
756-500: A settlement with Boeing over the MAX groundings. The settlement included reducing the carrier's order for future MAX aircraft by four. On 7 April 2023, Icelandair announced that the airline had signed an MOU for an order of up to 25 A321XLRs : 13 firm orders with 12 further options. At the same time, it was also announced that negotiations were underway to lease four A321LRs . These will replace its ageing Boeing 757 fleet. This will be
864-416: A single case". Norwegian's policies were also criticized by passengers who were left without food, drinks and blankets on board for up to 12 hours (available for pay but only with credit card). In August 2014, 35,000 people were reportedly hit with delays when flying with Norwegian, and 1,200 passengers ultimately sued Norwegian for compensation. However, for the most part, the tribunal did not agree with
972-604: A sustainable business plan that would allow the airline to both receive further governmental aid and investment from private enterprise. In January 2021, Norwegian and its subsidiaries began to reduce their fleets by returning several aircraft, including long-haul Boeing 787s , to their respective lessors . On 14 January 2021, Norwegian announced the end of all long-haul services to focus on a reduced European route network. On 24 February 2021, Norwegian announced that it had cancelled orders for 53 Airbus A320neos and 30 Airbus A321LRs . On 4 March 2021, CFO Geir Karlsen confirmed that
1080-571: A team of highly skilled airbrush artists from the UK, features artwork depicting an Icelandic winter scene complete with the Aurora Borealis . An installation of LED mood lighting in the cabin continues the theme by emulating both the colours and dancing patterns of the aurora. As part of Icelandair's transatlantic fleet, the Hekla Aurora began operating to all of Icelandair's destinations at
1188-432: A week from Kansas City International Airport to Keflavík International Airport, which commenced on 25 May 2018. Icelandair commenced four weekly flights to and from Dallas Ft. Worth on 30 May 2018. It ended on 6 March 2019. On 5 November 2018, Icelandair announced plans to take over its low-cost competitor, WOW Air , with the two airlines to be operated as separate brands. On 29 November, Icelandair abandoned this endeavour as
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#17328008332071296-603: A year later, Loftleiðir became one of the founders of Cargolux , a cargo airline. Also in 1970, Loftleiðir entered the jet age with its first two DC-8 aircraft. During those years, many people including the company's own staff called Loftleiðir "the Hippie Airline" or "the Hippie Express". The airline was not known for speed or punctuality, but flying with the company became a sort of rite of passage for young "hippies" from America travelling to Europe, one of whom
1404-460: A year-round service operating five times a week. The Geneva service started on 24 May 2014 and continued twice weekly until September. On 9 December 2014, Icelandair revealed a northern lights-themed Boeing 757-200 (registration TF-FIU) named Hekla Aurora . The aircraft was officially launched in February 2015 as part of the company's #MyStopover campaign . The exterior, which was hand-painted by
1512-400: Is Icelandair Group's cargo airline subsidiary. Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir used their aircraft to carry freight as well as passengers, and when Icelandair was established in 1973 a freight division was set up within the airline. After years of operating freighter aircraft as part of Icelandair, Icelandair Cargo was established as a separate entity in 2000. The airline uses available space in
1620-509: Is also a member of Airlines for Europe . The key trends for the Norwegian Group over recent years are shown below (as at year ending 31 December): The company is headed by CEO Geir Karlsen , Marty St. George as COO , and the board of directors is chaired by Niels Smedegaard. Bjørn Kjos , the company's founder and previously its largest shareholder, stepped down as CEO on 11 July 2019, but continued to act as an adviser. Kjos
1728-405: Is considered a precursor to the low-cost carriers that emerged worldwide in the 1970s, particularly long-haul budget carriers like Norwegian Air Shuttle . The late 1960s were an exciting time for Loftleiðir. In 1969 the company acquired International Air Bahama, a small Bahamian airline that operated transatlantic nonstop service between Nassau and Luxembourg using Douglas DC-8 jetliners, and
1836-559: Is government-owned. Flag carriers may also be known as such due to laws requiring aircraft or ships to display the state flag of the country of their registry . For example, under the law of the United States, a U.S. flag air carrier is any airline that holds a certificate under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (i.e., any U.S.-based airline operating internationally), and any ship registered in
1944-527: Is in Diamanten , an office building at Fornebu , Bærum outside Oslo . Previously, the airline had its head office functions inside other buildings in Fornebu, but in 2010 moved to Diamanten, which had been the former Braathens , and later SAS Norway, head office. Since 2007, Norwegian has been a signature partner with UNICEF Norway and has operated four aid flights to various war-torn countries in
2052-486: Is known for its distinctive livery of white with a red nose, with portraits of high achievers on the tail fins of its aircraft. Norwegian's flights are operated by itself and Norwegian Air Sweden , a fully owned subsidiary. Each airline holds a unique air operator's certificate (AOC) but shares branding, corporate identity , and commercial functions. Until December 2019, Norwegian also owned and operated Norwegian Air Argentina , which operated domestic flights within
2160-763: Is the fourth largest low-cost carrier in Europe behind Wizz Air , easyJet and Ryanair , the largest airline in Norway , and the ninth-largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers. It offers a high-frequency domestic flight schedule within Scandinavia and Finland, and to business destinations such as London, as well as to holiday destinations in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands , transporting over 30 million people in 2016. The airline
2268-635: Is to merge with Icelandair by uniting domestic and international services from 16 March 2021 and continuing the current flight operations under the Icelandair brand. Icelandair announced the launch of a new flight path from Reykjavik to Istanbul . The new flight option will operate four times per week beginning September 5, 2025. Icelandair offers three booking classes: Economy Light, Economy, and Saga Class (the last being equivalent to Business class ). Free meals are only available in Saga Class, and
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#17328008332072376-662: The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull resulted in large parts of the European airspace being closed down . The air travel disruption coincided with the start of the important summer season for the company. The in-house crisis management organisation began assessing the situation once the scale of the problem had become known. Thrice-daily crisis meetings were held at the airline's headquarters. Icelandair tried to operate as many passenger flights as possible, keeping its hub at Keflavík open and diverting European flights to airports that were still open. The eventual closure of Keflavík due to
2484-613: The Airbus A321neo and Airbus A321LR as a replacement for their ageing fleet of Boeing 757s, or to run alongside their Boeing 737 MAX 8 or to even replace the MAX 8s entirely, due to the Boeing 737 MAX groundings . On 22 January 2020 Icelandair announced that the airline would lease three Boeing 737-800 airliners to enter service in spring 2020. The aircraft were to be dry leased and flown by Icelandair pilots. However this never took place. On 12 August 2020, Icelandair reached
2592-527: The Atlantic Bridge route, which is one pillar of the airline's business strategy, along with traffic to, from, and within the country. Icelandair traces its roots back to 1937, when Flugfélag Akureyrar was founded in Akureyri on the north coast of Iceland. Flight operations started in 1938 with a single Waco YKS-7 configured as a floatplane . In 1939 the airline was grounded when this aircraft
2700-535: The volcanic ash cloud coincided with an improvement of the situation towards Europe, which allowed Icelandair to move its headquarters with 200 staff to Glasgow and operate flights from there for ten days, with shuttle flights to Iceland's Akureyri Airport and round-the-clock bus shuttles onwards to Reykjavík. In the aftermath of the eruption , the government of Iceland launched the successful "Inspired by Iceland" campaign to regain confidence in travelling to Iceland for tourists and business people, of which Icelandair
2808-531: The "main national airline" and often a sign of their country's presence abroad. The heavily regulated aviation industry also meant aviation rights are often negotiated between governments, denying airlines access to an open market. These Bilateral Air Transport Agreements similar to the Bermuda I and Bermuda II agreements specify rights awardable only to locally registered airlines, forcing some governments to jump-start airlines to avoid being disadvantaged in
2916-479: The 'Flugfélag Nordurlands' branding, were combined with a small airline Nordurflug to form the Air Iceland Connect subsidiary, allowing mainline Icelandair to fully concentrate on international flights since then. On 20 November 1999, a new aircraft livery was introduced, as part of an image campaign designed to retire Icelandair's "backpacker" label in favour of an emphasis on business travel. In 2001,
3024-479: The 1960s, Icelandair has offered passengers travelling on transatlantic flights between North America and Europe an opportunity to stopover in Iceland for up to seven days, at no additional cost. To raise awareness about its stopover offer, the company launched a new social media initiative in 2014, with the hashtag #MyStopover . On 9 January 2018, Icelandair announced that it would provide three non-stop flights
3132-660: The 2022 summer season. On 1 December 2021, the airline announced it would resume the operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, with two aircraft starting in 2022, after previously retiring all of its aircraft of the type during restructuring. The airline ordered a further ten Boeing 737 MAX 8s in February 2022. In March 2022, Norwegian Air Shuttle changed its operating callsign from NORSEMAN to NORDIC (previously FlyNordic 's and later Norwegian Air Sweden's original callsign), and Norwegian Air Sweden changed its callsign from NORLIGHT to REDNOSE (previously Norwegian Air UK 's callsign). In May 2022
3240-759: The Boeing 737s were ended in September 2019 following the Boeing 737 MAX groundings since March of that year, while long-haul flights with the Boeing 787s were discontinued in January 2021, following their initial suspension as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic . Norwegian Air Shuttle was Europe's most on-time airline in October 2023. Cirium identified its on-time performance rate at 86.10%. As of July 2024 , Norwegian Air Shuttle, including integrated subsidiaries, operates an all- Boeing 737 fleet composed of
3348-506: The Icelandair hub was moved to Keflavík International Airport . As Icelandair particularly focuses on flights to North America, the company was significantly affected by the airspace closure following the September 11 attacks in the same year. The Flugleiðir holding was reorganized as Icelandair Group (for aviation business) and FL Group (for non-aviation finance and investment business) between 2002 and 2005, with Icelandair becoming
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3456-556: The Icelandic authorities became concerned that the fierce domestic rivalry would cripple both companies, and attempted to force them to merge. Unable to consummate a merger, the authorities instead divided domestic routes between the two airlines, prompting Loftleiðir to exit the domestic market and concentrate instead on international flights. Its pioneering low-fare service across the North Atlantic commenced in 1953. Loftleiðir
3564-545: The Icelandic group. The new administration plans include discontinuing the hub at Praia International Airport focusing all of the airline's operations at Amílcar Cabral International Airport and from there serving as a connecting hub between the Americas, Europe and Africa. On 5 November 2017, the company Icelandair (the new TACV administrator) passed the first Boeing 757-200 to TACV to reinforce existing routes, such as daily flights to Lisbon , Fortaleza and Recife (which increases to 4 weekly flights as of 3 December). Since
3672-522: The Norwegian government, Norwegian had also sought a credit guarantee for a loan through the Swedish government, which the government described as being eligible for airlines with a Swedish operating permit and its main operations or headquarters in Sweden through the start of 2020. The Swedish government had allocated a total of 5 billion SEK in credit guarantees for potential candidate airlines, intending
3780-510: The United States is known as a U.S. flag vessel . The term "flag carrier" is a legacy of the early days of commercial aviation when governments often took the lead by establishing state-owned airlines because of the high capital costs of running them. However, not all such airlines were government-owned; Pan Am , TWA , Cathay Pacific , Union de Transports Aériens , Canadian Pacific Air Lines and Olympic Airlines were all privately owned, but were considered to be flag carriers as they were
3888-901: The United States, flying three Boeing 737-800s out of Chicago/Rockford International Airport and General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee to Mexico and the Caribbean from December 2016 to April 2017 for Apple Vacations and Funjet Vacations. By February 2017, Norwegian had expanded to the point that it became Scandinavia's largest airline. On 20 April 2017, Norwegian announced its second long-haul destination in Asia , with flights between London's Gatwick Airport and Singapore Changi Airport , using Boeing 787s operated by Norwegian Air UK . (These flights ended on 11 January 2019.) On 29 June 2017, Norwegian took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX, which featured Freddie Laker on its tailfin and
3996-609: The airline (including AerCap and BOC Aviation ) becoming the airline's largest shareholders. On 17 June 2020, Norwegian began adding additional flights for the month of July from Norway to Denmark and Sweden, as well as from Scandinavia to other European countries including Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the UK among others as demand recovered and countries reopened. On 29 June 2020, the airline announced it had cancelled all of its remaining orders from Boeing, consisting of 92 Boeing 737 MAXs, five Boeing 787s, and service agreements related to both aircraft types. After receiving aid from
4104-492: The airline announced plans to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. In 2023, Norwegian announced its intent to acquire Widerøe , the largest regional carrier in Norway, for 1,125 million kr (roughly €100 million ). In December, the NCA greenlighted the purchase. The acquisition was completed in January 2024. Shares of the parent company, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, are listed on Oslo Børs ( Oslo Stock Exchange ) with
4212-503: The airline but leased to other airlines. During that same year, Icelandair announced an order for two Boeing 787 Dreamliners . In 2006, Icelandair announced an order for two more Boeing 787s. In 2011, it was announced that orders for three of the 787s had been cancelled. On 13 February 2013, Icelandair Group announced that the company had finalized an order with Boeing for 16 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Purchase rights for eight additional 737s were also signed. The value for all 16 aircraft
4320-768: The airline flies to 104 destinations as of January 2021. Domestic, intra-Nordic and typical European business and leisure destinations have the most flights. The busiest routes in Norwegian's network are the Oslo to Bergen and the Oslo to Trondheim routes with 15 daily round-trips. Norwegian's largest non-Scandinavian operation is to London Gatwick with up to 24 daily round-trips. Intra-Scandinavian routes, and in particular on "the capital triangle" between Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen, are attractive due to extensive traffic for both business and leisure travellers. Other modes of transportation between these cities are generally slow. Following Norwegian's announcement in 2009 that it would enter
4428-424: The airline previously operated widebody Boeing 787 aircraft through its integrated subsidiaries, it offered premium economy class seating and services. As a low-cost airline , Norwegian charges additional fees for on-board food and drinks, checked baggage, payment by credit card and other non-core services. The airline runs a frequent flyer program called Norwegian Reward . Passengers can earn points based on
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4536-546: The airline re-branded as Norwegian. The airline opened its second hub at Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport in Poland, flying to Central European destinations. There were two Boeing 737 operating from Warsaw. (The base was closed in 2010.) Norwegian announced on 24 April 2007 that it had bought 100% of the Swedish low-cost airline FlyNordic from Finnair plc, becoming the largest low-cost airline in Scandinavia. As payment for
4644-609: The airline's Boeing 737 MAX operations would not resume and that the airline had sought to sell its 737 MAX fleet. On 11 March 2021, the Irish high court approved Norwegian's termination of a further 25 aircraft leases, and on 26 March 2021 approved its restructuring plan as part of its bankruptcy protection procedures. This was followed by the high court in Norway approving the restructuring plan on 10 April 2021. To further simplify and streamline its operations, Norwegian retired its Irish AOC held by Norwegian Air International , and began
4752-515: The airline's application for a credit guarantee was denied by the Swedish government in August 2020; the government claiming that the airline had not been financially viable as of 31 December 2019, before the pandemic. Also in August 2020, Norwegian warned that the company would run out of cash by the first quarter of 2021 if it had not received further funding. In November 2020, the Norwegian government stated it would not extend further government aid to
4860-599: The airline, amidst fears the airline would use the funding to grow its operations that were based outside of Norway. On 18 November 2020, Norwegian sought for bankruptcy protection in Ireland, where most of its remaining fleet was held, in an attempt to restructure the organization which was expected to last five months. During part of this period, Norwegian once again reduced its network to mostly domestic operations within Norway with an active fleet of eight Boeing 737-800s. In 2021 restructuring continued in order to formulate
4968-587: The album's general release. Biophilia , Björk 's 2011 album, had earlier been released on Icelandair's fleet in the same way. Almost all of Icelandair's fleet is equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi, provided by Row 44 and Zodiac Inflight Innovations. The installation of Wi-Fi in all Boeing aircraft was completed. Icelandair's frequent-flyer programme is Saga Club, a programme where members can earn Saga points for travelling on Icelandair or partner airlines, and redeem points toward travel or Saga Shop inflight purchases. As of January 2021, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue are
5076-406: The baggage compartments of Icelandair's passenger aircraft, as well as operating two Boeing 757 freighters to destinations in Europe and North America from its base at Keflavík International Airport. In 2021, Icelandair Cargo announced Boeing 767-300ER passenger aircraft would be converted to freighters. The first converted 767-300BCF was delivered to Icelandair on 8 December 2022 with plans to use
5184-435: The candidates to be financially viable and essential to the Swedish aviation infrastructure, and noted that it had allocated 1.5 billion SEK to Scandinavian Airlines , which is headquartered in Sweden. While Norwegian through itself and its subsidiary Norwegian Air Sweden collectively had a Swedish air operator's certificate (and through it, aircraft registered on the Swedish registry), as well as operations based in Sweden,
5292-519: The capital) and BOC Aviation (12.7%). The Norwegian Group consists of the parent company and its directly or indirectly owned subsidiaries in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The parent company also owns 100% of the telephone company Call Norwegian AS, and 99.9% of NAS Asset Management, which owns the 737-800 aircraft purchased from Boeing. Norwegian
5400-682: The company had six Fokker 50s and flew 500,000 passengers on 20,000 flights. The company had a revenue of NOK 172 million and a profit of NOK 13 million. On 2 June 2000, NAS bought the helicopter operator Lufttransport from Helikopter Service . In 2000, the NAS fleet was expanded to seven Fokker 50s. From 2 January 2001, several Braathens routes were terminated, including the NAS-operated services from Kristiansund to Trondheim and Molde. The route from Bergen to Haugesund, and Bergen–Molde–Trondheim were reduced. On 7 January 2002, NAS took over
5508-521: The company's business grew on a reputation as a "backpacker airline", similar to Loftleiðir, which had been referred to as "Hippie Airline" since the late 1960s. In the same year, it was begun to dismantle the Luxembourg hub in favour of today's decentralized European network, linking the largest cities non-stop to Reykjavík, closing it down altogether by 1999. In 1997 the domestic operations of Icelandair, part of which had previously been operated under
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#17328008332075616-784: The complaints and only in a few cases did Norwegian have to compensate the passenger(s). Between 2011 and 2013, Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) was criticized regarding its treatment of employees. The media first reported NAS's announced intention to open a base in Helsinki, from where it hired pilots on short-term contracts in Estonia rather than as employees within the company. The Norwegian tax-office authorities reportedly suspected in August 2012 that many Norwegian citizens were working for NAS on these contracts and not paying Norwegian taxes, despite operating on flights originating from Norway. The Norwegian Pilot's Union (NPU) took NAS to court over
5724-467: The completion of its restructuring, following no objections from either of the high courts based in Ireland and Norway. Following Norwegian's emergence from bankruptcy protection and restructuring, the airline's board of directors fired CEO Jacob Schram, promoting CFO Geir Karlsen to CEO. During restructuring, two new operating subsidiaries, each with its own AOC, had been established: Norwegian Air Shuttle AOC AS and Norwegian Air Sweden AOC AB . This
5832-632: The country. Until January 2021, Norwegian's former long-haul subsidiaries Norwegian Air UK and Norwegian Long Haul operated long-haul flights on behalf of the company, after which both subsidiaries were put into liquidation when long-haul operations were ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Until April 2021, Norwegian utilised Ireland-based Norwegian Air International for European-based operations outside of Norway or Sweden. On 18 December 2023, Norwegian Air Norway returned its sole aircraft to parent Norwegian Air Shuttle. Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS)
5940-467: The early years of the 737 operations, Norwegian operated a Boeing 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 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series aircraft. The last of the MD-80 aircraft was phased out two years later. Norwegian's aircraft livery is white with a signal red nose and
6048-421: The face of foreign competition. Some countries also establish flag carriers such as Israel 's El Al or Lebanon 's Middle East Airlines for nationalist reasons or to aid the country's economy, particularly in the area of tourism. In many cases, governments would directly assist in the growth of their flag carriers typically through subsidies and other fiscal incentives. The establishment of competitors in
6156-423: The first turboprop airliners to be operated by an Icelandic airline. In the 1950s, Flugfélag began to use Icelandair branding for flights beyond Iceland. In 1967, Flugfélag was the first Icelandic airline to join the jet age , when a Boeing 727-100 dubbed Gullfaxi was put into service. Another 727 was acquired in 1971, and the aircraft type was operated until 1990. In 2008, the cockpit section of Gullfaxi
6264-860: The first time the airline used a Boeing 787-9 , in its mission to Yemen . In 2018, the airline cooperated with MegaDo and Insideflyer , auctioning off seats for these special flights with all proceeds donated to UNICEF . Norwegian and UNICEF have conducted five humanitarian aid missions since 2014 to the Central African Republic , to Syrian refugees in Jordan , to Mali , Yemen and Chad . The partners claim that together they have delivered emergency aid that has saved more than 100,000 children's lives. Norwegian Air Shuttle serves destinations throughout Europe and North Africa for both business and leisure markets. Combined with its integrated subsidiaries that operate additional short-haul flights,
6372-484: The first-ever Airbus order for the Icelandic flag carrier. As of November 2024, Icelandair operates two aircraft with special liveries. These depict the natural beauty of Iceland . One showcases the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull, as well as celebrates the independence of Iceland for 100 years. The other highlights the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), also part of Icelandair's #IcelandStopover campaign. A third aircraft (Boeing B757-300 TF-ISX "Þingvellir")
6480-641: The fleet. The first leased 737-800 arrived at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen , Norway, on 26 January 2008. In April 2010, Norwegian started flights from Oslo-Gardermoen and Stockholm to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport . During early 2011, Norwegian had three aircraft stationed in Helsinki, and introduced domestic flights to Oulu Airport and Rovaniemi Airport on 31 March 2011. In May, flights to nine additional international destinations began. In October 2009, Norwegian had announced that it intended to start flights from Oslo to New York City and Bangkok, for which new intercontinental aircraft were required. In 2010, it said it
6588-402: The following aircraft: Norwegian and its integrated subsidiaries have previously operated the following aircraft: From 1993 to 2002, the company solely operated Fokker 50 turbo-prop aircraft primarily as a commuter airline, having a total fleet of six by 2002. The company ceased all Fokker 50 operations at the end of 2003 to focus on Boeing 737-300 jet operations. For a limited period in
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#17328008332076696-403: The following airlines: As of April 2024, Icelandair operates the following aircraft. Most of the aircraft in Icelandair's fleet are named after Icelandic volcanoes . In 2005, the airline, on behalf of its parent company Icelandair Group, announced an order for ten Boeing 737-800 aircraft with options for five more. Those options were later exercised. These were not placed into service by
6804-572: The following year, with flights scheduled four times per week. Icelandair commenced scheduled flights to Paris Orly Airport beginning on 29 March 2016. Services to Montréal–Trudeau Airport began on 26 May 2016. In September 2016, Icelandair announced services to Philadelphia , US, starting in May 2017 and Tampa , US starting in Sep 2017. In May 2017, Icelandair unveiled a glacier-themed special livery on Boeing 757-200 (registration TF-FIR) named Vatnajökull,
6912-406: The form of other locally registered airlines may be prohibited or heavily regulated to avoid direct competition. Even where privately run airlines may be allowed to be established, the flag carriers may still be accorded priority, especially in the apportionment of aviation rights to local or international markets. Near the end of the 20th century, many of these airlines have been corporatized as
7020-593: The group grounded all of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, on the advice of the EASA , after the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes . On 11 July 2019, the company's founder and CEO Bjørn Kjos stepped down as CEO. Kjos explained his decision by citing his age and the company's growing need for fresh leadership. Chief Financial Officer Geir Karlsen stepped in as interim CEO. In the past year of restructuring, Norwegian's stock price dropped more than 85% from
7128-513: The increased capacity to establish new routes to the United States . As of April 2024, the Icelandair Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft: Flag carrier A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state , enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Historically,
7236-428: The insurance company Silver, Norwegian's partnership with UNICEF , Network Norway , and the airline's frequent-flyer program Norwegian Reward . Norwegian's Boeing 737s are configured in an all-economy class layout consisting of 186 or 189 seats in a 3–3 configuration. The airline offers in-flight entertainment by overhead screens, video on demand streamable to personal devices, and WiFi Internet access. When
7344-435: The largest and most important of eleven subsidiaries. The wet-lease and charter department, which was founded in 2003, was named Loftleiðir Icelandic , thus re-introducing a familiar name. Like most Icelandic companies, Icelandair was hit quite hard by the 2008 financial crisis in the country but was well on the road to recovery when another crisis of a very different kind hit in 2010. The air traffic restrictions following
7452-546: The latter; and for 100 Airbus A320neos with options for another 50. In late October 2012, the airline announced a new base at London Gatwick from spring 2013 with three Boeing 737-800s to be used on new international routes from London to leisure destinations in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Croatia. All announced routes were to be flown in competition with airlines such as British Airways , easyJet and Thomson Airways . In 2016 Norwegian won its first charter contract in
7560-408: The long-haul market, Norwegian subsequently launched long-haul flights on 30 May 2013, which initially consisted of flights from Oslo and Stockholm to Bangkok and New York City. The flights, which were operated by a new subsidiary Norwegian Long Haul , originally launched with wet-leased Airbus A340-300 aircraft while the deliveries of the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft were delayed. Over
7668-486: The name of Europe's largest glacier. The special livery was created to commemorate Icelandair's 80th anniversary. In August 2017, Icelandair announced service five days per week to Cleveland , US, which began on 16 May 2018. The route was cut in early 2019. In August 2017, the Cape Verdean government signed an agreement with Icelandic Airlines , part of the Icelandair Group , which turned the administration of TACV to
7776-698: The next several years, Norwegian's long-haul operations with its Boeing 787s expanded to other European countries in addition to Scandinavia, with its route network eventually consisting of flights to Asia and the Americas from Europe. A new subsidiary, Norwegian Air UK , was also established to operate long-haul flights at Norwegian's London Gatwick base. Norwegian also launched long-haul flights using Boeing 737s between Europe and North America in 2017, initially with Boeing 737-800 aircraft before it received its first of several Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. These flights were operated by Norwegian's Irish subsidiary airline, Norwegian Air International . Long-haul operations with
7884-554: The only partner airlines of Icelandair eligible to earn Saga points through Saga Club, while Alaska Airlines is the only partner airline that allows for redeeming points towards travel. Icelandair Info , the inflight magazine of Icelandair, is printed four times a year in Icelandic and English. First published in 2008, it is also the product catalogue for the airline's Saga Shop. Icelandair flies between Iceland and several destinations across Europe and North America. A few of these destinations are seasonal. Icelandair codeshares with
7992-542: The open market dropped nearly 80% in the weeks leading up to Black Thursday . On 16 March 2020, the airline announced it was cancelling 85% of its flights and laying off 7,300 workers. On 20 April 2020, the airline reported the bankruptcy of various staffing subsidiaries and the termination of agreements with OSM Aviation, each of which were responsible for staffing the airline's flights from its crew bases outside of Norway, France, and Italy, affecting 4,700 workers. On 27 April 2020, Norwegian outlined its plans to qualify for
8100-474: The operation of its flights, beginning with the acquisition of Swedish airline FlyNordic in 2008, and later setting up subsidiary airlines in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Argentina in order to access traffic rights and freedoms in countries beyond Norway. By 2021, the airline group had since reduced its AOCs to certificates registered in Norway and Sweden, held by Norwegian Air Shuttle and Norwegian Air Sweden respectively. The company's head office
8208-404: The possible returns of the 737 MAX and A320neo. In April 2021, Norwegian announced plans to lay off 85 percent of its staff based in Spain due to the closure of all Spanish bases formerly operated by the defunct Norwegian Air International , except Alicante and Málaga which would be kept by Norwegian Air Sweden . In May 2021, Norwegian exited bankruptcy protection and its Irish examinership with
8316-431: The previous year, largely blamed on the Boeing 737 MAX groundings. In an effort to delay its bond repayment of $ 380 million by two years, Norwegian offered its slots at Gatwick for collateral. Jacob Schram , a former gas executive, was named Kjos' replacement as CEO on 20 November 2019 and joined the company in January 2020. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Norwegian's finances and operations, and its value on
8424-456: The price of the ticket and the ticket class. Norwegian supported the ban on point accrual that was in force on domestic flights in Norway until 16 May 2013, but when that ban was lifted, the reward programs were extended to that market as well. It was reported in 2014 that Norwegian Air customers had lodged a record number of complaints , with a tribunal judge stating to Dagens Næringsliv , "We have never before seen this scope of complaints in
8532-598: The process of reregistering NAI's remaining Irish-registered fleet to Norway and the transferral of its EU-based flight and base operations to Norwegian Air Sweden in mid-April 2021. Norwegian's plans also included the operation of 50 Boeing 737-800s during 2021 in order to operate a single fleet type, to later increase to 68 aircraft in 2022, consisting of 40 based in Norway and the remaining 28 to be based elsewhere in Europe. Despite previously stating that its Boeing 737 MAX operations would not resume and that its Airbus A320neo family orders were cancelled, its plans acknowledged
8640-567: The result that there is no single "flag carrier". The chart below lists airlines considered to be a "flag carrier", based on current or former state ownership or other verifiable designation as a national airline. Minority (20.05%) in the Lufthansa Group acquired in 2020 was sold in 2022. Norwegian Air Shuttle Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA , trading as Norwegian , is a Norwegian low-cost airline and Scandinavia 's second-largest airline, behind Scandinavian Airlines . It
8748-508: The route from Stavanger to Newcastle, flying two round trips per day; this was the first route on which the airline did not wet lease the aircraft to Braathens, but operated the route in its own right. After Braathens was bought by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in November 2001, all contracts that Norwegian had with Braathens for the routes on the Norwegian west coast were cancelled by SAS, as it wanted its subsidiary SAS Commuter to take
8856-465: The routes over. NAS had an 18-month cancellation period in its contract with Braathens; however, this was not respected by SAS - the contracts were terminated without notice. Following the purchase of Braathens by SAS, and the subsequent termination of its contracts, NAS announced in April 2002 that it would start domestic scheduled services as a low-cost carrier on the busiest routes. From 1 September 2002,
8964-446: The sale and leaseback of its owned aircraft. Norwegian changed its strategy from growth to profitability in 2018, and in January 2019, the airline announced restructuring measures consisting of the closure of several crew bases mostly for its Boeing 737 operations outside Norway, as well as a possible revision of its aircraft order books, including the cancellation of nearly its entire Airbus A320neo family order. On 12 March 2019,
9072-1056: The same year, the airline was awarded the title "Marketing Firm of the Year in Iceland", by a judging panel from IMARK, the Marketing Association in Iceland. After having launched scheduled flights to Washington, D.C., in 2011, Denver was announced as a new U.S. destination for 2012, followed by Anchorage in 2013, bringing the total number of cities served in the country up to eight, along with Boston, Minneapolis, New York City, Orlando and Seattle. Also in 2012, Icelandair resumed domestic services, with regular flights linking Akureyri to its Keflavík hub through subsidiary company Air Iceland . From 2009 to 2014, operations doubled. New destinations in 2014 were Edmonton and Vancouver in Canada; and Geneva. Twice-weekly flights to Vancouver commenced on 13 May 2014 and continued until October of that year. Flights to Edmonton started on 4 March 2014, with
9180-586: The same year, the comfort and performance of domestic flights in Iceland was improved with the introduction of the Douglas DC-3 . A total of six were purchased, which remained in service with the airline until 1972. Until the late 1960s, Flugfélag concentrated mostly on domestic service, but it also continued operating internationally; in 1948, the Douglas DC-4 was introduced on international routes, and in 1957 two new Vickers 759 Viscounts were acquired,
9288-459: The shareholders’ meeting pre-conditions were unlikely to be met. On 18 September 2020, the company's share capital was increased with the issue of 23,000,000,000 new shares with a nominal value of 1 Icelandic króna following a public share offering. In addition, the Icelandic government decided to guarantee a line of credit for Icelandair. The guarantee amounts to $ 120 million. On 9 March 2021, Icelandair Group announced that Air Iceland Connect
9396-646: The shares in FlyNordic, Finnair received a 5% share stake in Norwegian. On 30 August 2007, Norwegian ordered 42 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with options for 42 more, an order worth US$ 3.1 billion. This order was later increased by six aircraft in November 2009. In July 2010 15 of the options were converted to orders, and in June 2011 15 more options were converted, bringing the total order of new, owned 737-800s to 78 aircraft with 12 remaining options. Additionally, Norwegian introduced leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft into
9504-458: The term was used to refer to airlines owned by the government of their home country and associated with the national identity of that country. Such an airline may also be known as a national airline or a national carrier , although this can have different legal meanings in some countries. Today, it is any international airline with a strong connection to its home country or that represents its home country internationally, regardless of whether it
9612-459: The ticker symbol NAS and are included in the benchmark index OBX , composed of the 25 most liquid shares on the Børs . Before the May 2020 recapitalization, the largest shareholder was HBK Holding AS (4.64% of shares as of 3 April 2020), whose majority owner is Bjørn Kjos , founder of the company. After the emission of new shares to its previous creditors, its largest owners were AerCap (15.9% of
9720-629: The time, and has a three-day advance schedule available for passengers and observers. On 5 February 2015, Birmingham became Icelandair's 5th gateway in the UK, and the 39th overall, with flights operating twice weekly, on Thursdays and Mondays. On 19 May 2015, Icelandair launched scheduled flights to and from Portland, Oregon in the US: its 14th destination in North America. Flights were set to operate twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, until 20 October. Further expansion of Icelandair's global network
9828-619: The two airlines Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir merged into one airline Flugleiðir, and the airline was renamed Icelandair . In 1980, the Icelandic government provided a loan to Icelandair due to the company's bad financial situation. The aircraft fleet of Icelandair remained mainly unchanged until the Boeing 757-200 became the new backbone for transatlantic flights during the 1990s. The domestic Fokker F27s were replaced by Fokker 50s and Boeing 737s deployed on European routes. The European hub at Luxembourg Airport had been taken over from Loftleiðir. Passenger count topped one million in 1997 as
9936-477: The upper hand in the united company. A holding company called Flugleiðir was created, which combined the two companies and began to streamline staff and operations. At the time of the merger, two-thirds of the passenger traffic of the airline were international transatlantic crossings, and Flugfélag Íslands's fleet of Douglas DC-3s and Boeing 727s were enlarged by the Douglas DC-8s of Loftleiðir. In 1979,
10044-418: The world. These are flights for which the company, its employees and passengers contribute money to fill an aircraft with aid and deliver the aid to the country in need. Passengers can contribute when they purchase tickets, food and drinks, or through the entertainment system on board. Initially, the airline used one of its Boeing 737-300 or Boeing 737-800 aircraft in a special UNICEF livery, but in 2017 for
10152-478: The year and Icelandair CEO Birkir Hólm Guðnason was picked as "Man of the Year" in the Icelandic business community. In both categories the panel of judges of the Association of Economists and Business Graduates in Iceland said that "the fine results of the company in the previous year showed both a high degree of skill and specialist knowledge within the company as well as excellent leadership." In October of
10260-409: Was US$ 1.6 billion at Boeing list prices, but the actual purchase price was confidential. The aircraft were scheduled to be delivered in 2018–2021. The order was for nine 737 MAX 8s configured for 153 passengers, and seven 737 MAX 9s to hold 172 passengers. Icelandair Group's current Boeing 757-200 aircraft hold 183 passengers. On 8 May 2019, Icelandair announced that the company was considering ordering
10368-491: Was a leading participant and initiator. When the Grímsvötn volcano erupted in 2011, Icelandair once again had to cope with airspace closures in Europe. However, this time to a lesser extent due to a higher level of political preparedness. Weekly newspaper The Economist claimed that Icelandair could even take advantage when catering for disaster tourists . In February 2011 Icelandair was chosen "The Knowledge Company" of
10476-529: Was announced on 12 May 2015 with new, year-round services from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Services commenced on 16 March 2016, with flights to Iceland operating four days a week. On 17 August 2015 Icelandair announced the augmentation of its global flight network with a new service between Keflavik and Aberdeen, the company's second Scottish destination. The new service, operated by Air Iceland Connect (a subsidiary of Icelandair Group), commenced in March of
10584-532: Was considering up to 15 intercontinental destinations from Scandinavia, and would also consider services to South America and Africa. On 8 November 2010, Norwegian announced that it had contracted to lease two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners with delivery in 2012; and that it was negotiating the leasing of additional aircraft. On 25 January 2012, Norwegian announced the largest orders of aircraft in European history. The orders consisted of 22 Boeing 737-800 and 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with options for another 100 of
10692-417: Was destroyed in a capsizing accident. The company moved to Reykjavík, where it acquired another Waco aircraft and was relaunched in 1940 as Flugfélag Íslands , which translates as Flight Company of Iceland . Previously, two unrelated airlines of the same name had existed in the country (from 1919 to 1920, and between 1928 and 1931). For international purposes, the name Iceland Airways was adopted. The fleet
10800-552: Was established and owned by former Busy Bee employees and initially had a workforce of fifty. It was based in Bergen, but later established a technical base in Stavanger . From 1 April 1994, the airline also began service from Bergen to Ålesund Airport, Vigra . 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. By 1999,
10908-713: Was expanded with a Beechcraft Model 18 in 1942; and with two De Havilland Dragon Rapides and a Consolidated PBY Catalina in 1944, the latter being the first ever aircraft registered in Iceland to be flown to Iceland by an Icelandic crew from North America. On 11 July 1945, this aircraft operated the first commercial flight over the Atlantic Ocean for the airline, which led from Reykjavík to Largs in Scotland, with four passengers and four crew members on board. Regular flights to Prestwick Airport in Scotland and Copenhagen in Denmark, using Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft leased from Scottish Airlines were launched in 1946. In
11016-434: Was followed by the transfer of the fleet to the new certificates. The operation of flights under the two AOCs began on 31 October 2021, using their respective ICAO airline designator codes (NOZ and NSZ) and callsigns (NORSEMAN and NORLIGHT), retiring the previous NAX/NSW codes and NOR SHUTTLE/NORDIC callsigns. Also by the end of the month, the airline agreed to lease an additional 13 Boeing 737-800s to be delivered in time for
11124-847: 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 on charter services. This included the network of regional services between cities on the west coast of Norway operated on wet lease for the mother company. Following Busy Bee's bankruptcy in December 1992, 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
11232-474: Was future U.S. president Bill Clinton . During the 1970s energy crisis , the economic situation for both Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir worsened. The government of Iceland initiated a new attempt to merge the two airlines, which could be realized in 1973 following lengthy and difficult negotiations. In 1975, the Icelandic government provided a $ 13.5 million loan to Flugleiðir. The staff of Loftleiðir complained that Flugfélag Íslands, although smaller, had gained
11340-472: Was painted in the red, white, and blue livery of Iceland's flag and celebrated both the 100th anniversary of Icelandic National Sovereignty (1918-2018) and the National Men's Football Team's World Cup debut in 2018. This aircraft was retired from the Icelandair fleet in October 2024. Over the years, the airline operated the following aircraft types: Icelandair Cargo is a sister airline to Icelandair; it
11448-621: Was put on display at the Akureyri Aviation Museum . Another company, Loftleiðir, called Icelandic Airlines internationally, was formed in 1944 by three young pilots returning from their flight training in Canada. The company, whose name roughly means "Skyways", initially concentrated on Icelandic domestic routes using two Stinson Reliants and then a Grumman G-21 Goose amphibious aircraft . Loftleiðir began scheduled international operations in 1947. Loftleiðir soon began challenging Flugfélag's dominance within Iceland; by 1952,
11556-539: Was registered to Norwegian Air International . The parent company, Norwegian Air Shuttle, would later accept its first Boeing 737 MAX on 13 August 2018, the aircraft featuring Oscar Wilde on its tailfin. To finance its aggressive growth involving the inauguration of many new routes, the hiring and training of new employees, and the accepting of aircraft deliveries, Norwegian sold some of its shares in Bank Norwegian in June and December 2017, and participated in
11664-417: Was subsequently replaced by Karlsen as acting CEO for six months, before the company appointed Jacob Schram as its CEO, who served from January 2020 until June 2021. Norwegian Air Shuttle and its integrated subsidiaries, which together form Norwegian Group, each hold their own air operator's certificate (AOC). Over the airline group's history, it has collectively held multiple AOCs in various countries for
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