Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (OTCMKTS:NWARF) is now able to plan flights to the United States.
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA has been seeking approval for flights to the United States for three years now. The approval came from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), which typically only takes a few months to decide on matters such as this.
There was conflict over Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA’s request for flights to the United States. Airlines and labor unions fought over the matter and argued it could hurt the industry. Some have even called on President-elect Donald Trump to overturn the DOT’s decision when he takes office.
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is already preparing to start operations in the United States. The airline company is planning to set up two bases in the U.S. as soon as January 2017. One of these bases will be located at Stewart International Airport in New York. The other will be at Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire or T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is expecting tickets for flights from these locations to go on sale early next year. It expects the first flights from the United States to Europe to take off in June or July. The company said one-way tickets to Europe could be as low as $69.
“Norwegian is fully committed to growing its presence in the U.S. market, and that includes creating more American jobs,” Bjørn Kjos, Chairman, CEO and founder of the Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, told USA Today. “Not only do we have more U.S.-based cabin crew than any other foreign airline, we will soon also have more U.S.-based pilots than any other foreign airline.”
NWARF stock was up 12% as of Noon Monday.
