Norwegian - Cheeky upstart or one to watch?

Every now and then, an aviation company rises with a drive to disrupt traditional models and thinking; to rock the boat and to bring new customers and income in areas that might have been thought of as impossible. I believe the latest carrier with this in mind is Norwegian.

They recently caused a stir when they applied for an air operator's certificate here in Ireland to allow their long-haul operations to be relocated to Dublin. The certificate was subsequently approved, and whether you agree with it or not, you have to admit that it is an intriguing move. Dublin is quickly growing into a major trans-Atlantic hub but that is a topic for another time.

Norwegian has grown into the third largest low cost carrier in Europe behind Ryanair and Easyjet but unlike their bigger brothers and their talk about low cost Atlantic flights, Norwegian are actually doing it! This month Norwegian started flights from Gatwick (Link) and other European destinations to various airports in the US from as low as $275 per flight.

I would love to think of this move as a game changer and should be getting the attention of the big trans-Atlantic players. I say good on them and good luck...may the price war begin and the consumer win!