Norwegian startup Norse Atlantic Airways will cease service to Los Angeles (LAX) during the northern hemisphere winter season, temporarily dropping two routes from its network.
Norse flights from Berlin (BER) and Oslo (OSL) to LAX, both operated 3X-weekly, will be suspended for the winter season from next week. The carrier had signaled in September that it would be “cautious” regarding its winter schedule, citing rising inflation and high fuel prices.
Norse will continue to operate from BER to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) in Florida and New York Kennedy (JFK). It will also continue to operate from OSL to FLL and London Gatwick (LGW). Norse operates a daily OSL-LGW-JFK routing. The airline said it will also “remove excess capacity” from other routes to the US by lowering frequencies.
“Norse Atlantic Airways expects a positive increase in load factors and an uplift in yield across its network during the winter months” because of the suspended LAX routes and reduced capacity to the US, the airline said in a statement. It reported its September load factor was 56%.
Norse, an all-Boeing 787 operator, launched in June with the aim of providing low-fare transatlantic flights. “The changes to the company’s winter network will not result in redundancies,” Norse emphasized. “The company looks forward to ramping up cabin and flight crew recruitment in 2023, ahead of its expanded summer schedule.”
The carrier said it anticipates a “strong” summer 2023 season. Its “core summer 2023 schedule will be announced early November,” Norse added.
With the airline receiving its UK air operator’s certificate in September, it will be able to offer nonstop service from LGW to US points. “The company expects to have 10 aircraft in operation at the height of the [2023] summer season, including a greater presence out of London Gatwick,” Norse said.
“We have taken swift action to adjust our winter schedule and remove excess capacity from our network in light of lower expected demand, high fuel prices and rising global inflation,” Norse CEO Bjorn Tore Larsen said, adding that bookings continue to be strong “for our remaining core winter routes.”
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