by Harvey Chipkin
on March 31, 2023 Final up to date: 12:30 AM ET, Sat April 1, 2023

Norse Atlantic Airways airplane in flight. (picture courtesy of Norse Atlantic Airways)

Bjorn Tore Larsen purchased a journey company when he was simply 18 years previous and developed what was an early model of a distinct segment market. And in 2021, the Norwegian entrepreneur launched a transatlantic low-cost airline, Norse Atlantic Airways.

In doing so he turned one of many few folks ever to go from being a journey advisor to an airline CEO – although there was an attention-grabbing path in between.

After leaving college at 16, Larsen went to sea the place he discovered, he stated, that the crews knew greater than the corporate’s house owners about delivery. He stored to that lesson all of his life. At 18, he purchased a journey company close to Oslo and shortly developed a specialty in maritime crews as a result of, naturally, they traveled repeatedly to completely different ports. The company quickly had a big share of that market.

At across the identical time, Larsen began a delivery firm and he has been in that enterprise ever since, very efficiently so with 1000’s of staff globally. He offered the journey company in 1993 and just about stayed out of the journey business for nearly 30 years.

In 2021, with the demise of Norwegian Air’s transatlantic service (the service nonetheless flies in Europe), he once more noticed a possibility. The airline needed to floor 15 new Boeing Dreamliner plane, making them obtainable for a low value. With no airline expertise, Larsen, together with some airline veterans together with some from Norwegian Air, purchased the planes and launched Norse Atlantic, with Larsen as the bulk proprietor.

In 2022, the service launched its first route from Oslo to New York. Since then, it has continued so as to add gateways in Europe and North America, most just lately including Paris to New York.

Present routes embrace New York (JFK) to Oslo, Paris and London; and Oslo to Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. Coming over the following few months are London to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston; and Rome to New York. All flights are on sale now.

Larsen is frequently requested why he may succeed the place different low-cost, transatlantic carriers haven’t and he says the key is in a easy enterprise mannequin – solely nonstop long-haul flights and concentrating for now on North America and Europe.

Bjorn Tore Larsen, founder and CEO, Norse Atlantic Airways. (picture courtesy of Norse Atlantic Airways)

As well as, there’s a sturdy deal with prices. In line with Larsen, most airline bills are round logistics and overhead and he’s protecting these to a minimal. In consequence, he can supply fares, he stated, half that of rivals whereas paying aggressive wages to his staff (Paris-New York flights begin at $289 a technique).

And it’s these staff, along with the low fares, which are making the distinction. As he did with crews when he started his delivery firm, Larsen stated he listens to his flight attendants and pilots to find out which strategy to go in delivering service. “It isn’t the planes,” he stated, “it is the folks.” Whereas there’s nothing particularly Norwegian in regards to the service, stated Larsen, the airplane’s livery is influenced by that heritage, together with Viking graphics on plane tails.

Whereas the airline will principally be leisure-oriented, Larsen stated it’s a nice different for enterprise vacationers as a result of they respect the worth. He stated he’s getting enterprise from journey advisors, particularly within the group house the place, he stated, “we make it engaging for teams to journey with us.” Whereas the planes do have 56 premium seats out of a complete of 338, there are not any ultra-luxury choices as a result of, stated Larsen, “you do not want a lie-flat mattress to fly from London to New York.”

Wanting forward, Larsen stated Norse Atlantic will fly “the place and when folks need to go,” together with Asia and the Caribbean with seasonal service relying available on the market. Whereas he has leased 5 of his 15 planes to a different airline, he’ll get them again in time for extra routes in 2024.

Though there is no such thing as a loyalty program but, Larsen is trying into growing one if it may be made worthwhile. The airline has digital interline agreements with Spirit Airways, easyJet and Norwegian Air, which offers over 600 weekly connections between European and U.S. hubs.

Requested what it has been prefer to run an airline, Larsen, himself a pilot, smiled and stated, “I am dwelling the dream.”

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