Norwegian will land in Canada for the first time this summer. Ticket sales have already been approved by Canadian aviation authorities.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has announced that Norwegian has requested to fly to destinations in Canada this summer, writes world of air transport.
The CTA’s decision, which came on March 5, gives Norwegian the right to sell tickets for flights to and from Canada even before it has received the necessary approvals from Canadian authorities, writes the company’s website. Aerial.
The CTA also says that Norwegian intends to start commercial activity in the country on July 23.
Communications director Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen at Norwegian confirms to E24 that the airline is now looking to Canada.
– Yes, it is true that we have applied to the Canadian authorities for permission to fly to and from Canada with our EU airline. It’s too early to say which routes can be discussed now, Sandaker-Nielsen wrote in a text message.
– Start to feel rushed
The news raised eyebrows for aviation expert Hans Jørgen Elnæs of Winair. At E24, Elnæs expresses surprise that Norwegian is now choosing to expand into Canada.
– In 2018, the focus should be on increasing the frequency and capacity of existing destinations in the United States. Norwegian is to increase ASK (Available Seat Kilometers) by 40% in 2018, and it looks like the company is starting to ramp up planning to meet that goal. The United States is clearly not enough and therefore new destinations must be added to the roadmap, says Elnæs.
Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen in Norwegian points out that one does not exclude the other.
– Plans for prioritizing increases on existing long-haul lines are fixed, but it is also quite natural to request new flight authorizations in parallel, he specifies.
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Elnæs thinks what’s interesting is what’s behind it.
– There could be competitive conditions across the Atlantic in the US, difficulties getting slots in the US, or it could be as simple as having these plans from the start and not announcing them .
Elnæs thinks that in any case, there will soon be more posts about Norwegian’s new destinations.
– Not only in North America, but also in South America. The growth is most likely coming from Europe to the west and I think it’s Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru and the typical Central American holiday destinations that are on Bjørn’s radar Kjos, said Elnaes.
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