Ryanair Boeing 737-800, performing flight from Barcelona to Hamburg, landed on Hamburg’s runway 05 following a non-precision approach but overran the displaced end of the runway.

The aircraft vacated the runway via taxiway E6 instead of last usable exit A6 and taxied to the apron.

The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Hamburg for 7 hours before returning to service.

On May 17th 2018 Germany’s DFS (ATC Provider) reported the aircraft was unable to stop before the last exit A6 and vacated via the next exit immediately before the begining of the reconstruction works.

The area between A6 and E6 was kept clear as a safety buffer zone, hence no machinery, men or other obstacles were on the runway in this area and no critical situation arose.

Like all runway excursions this occurrence is being investigated internally by the DFS.

Airport and the works permitting authorities (LBA) have been informed about the runway excursion.

Meanwhile, Ryanair passengers will soon have less time to check-in unless they pay extra to reserve their seat.

The budget airline said its check-in window for passengers who have not paid for reserved seating will shrink from four days to 48 hours starting June 13.

But if customers pay for a reserved seat, which costs from £4 about $5.50 each way but rises to £15 about $20 for seats with more leg room, they will be allowed to check in up to 60 days before flying.

Passengers who turn up at the airport and have not already checked in online will be charged an extra £55 about $74.

The latest rule change comes just months after a controversial baggage policy change.

Passengers now have to pay £5 about $6.75 for priority boarding to avoid having their main cabin bag checked in to the hold at their departure gate.

The new check-in policy could encourage travellers on weekend breaks to pay for reserved seating or be forced to find ways to check in online while they are on holiday.

In 2016, passengers could check in for free up to a week before departure, but this was cut to four days and will now move to 48 hours.

The airline has also faced widespread criticism for its seat allocation policy when passengers haven't paid to reserve a seat.

Many couples travelling together have reported finding themselves seated at opposite ends of the aircraft despite Ryanair claiming that the allocation policy is random.

A Ryanair spokesman said Online check-in for those customers who don’t choose reserved seats will be available from 48 hours to 2 hours pre-departure for all flights from Wednesday, 13th June.

This is double the 24 hour check-in period operated by Aer Lingus, British Airways, Lufthansa, Norwegian and Iberia.

This will give reserve seat customers more time to select their preferred seats prior to departure.


Tourism Observer

“My dear sister. We will never give up on you.”

These were the words of Helene Ostbo at the weekend as the search continued for her sister‚ Marie‚ who went missing while on holiday with a group of students in Sedgefield on the southern Cape coast.

The search for the missing 21-year-old Norwegian entered its fifth day on Monday.

My dear sister. We will never give up on you. We are strong in our faith and belief. We keep you always in our thoughts and mind. We pray for having you back home‚ safe and sound‚ said Helene in a Facebook post.

Marie arrived on holiday with a group of international students in the coastal Garden Route town on April 18.

She was last seen on the beach‚ about 100 metres away from a backpacker lodge where they were staying that evening.

Despite an extensive search‚ so far only a cellphone‚ a hat and shoes belonging to Marie have been found.

Southern Cape Police spokesperson Captain Malcom Pojie said on Monday that the search was continuing both on land and at sea.

He said police divers and a helicopter had been involved in the search.

We have the CCTV footage in our possession for analysis. This is the last known sighting of her on the beach.

The search is still underway. We have added an air search by means of a helicopter. At this stage we don’t have any additional positive leads that help us in locating her‚ he said.

Townsfolk in Sedgefield have reached out to her anxious family in Norway‚ and offered to keep looking for Marie.

Suzie Bruwer replied to the Facebook post‚ saying: Helene. I stay in the Sedgefield area - Knysna. South Africa. We are praying for Marie … all over South Africa.

Yolandi Aggenbach said‚ Helene I'm also staying right on the beach just a few metres from where your sister went missing. We are praying and keeping an open eye everywhere we go, keep the faith‚ much love to your family.

Dear Helene‚ my heart goes out to you and your family. We pray that they will find your sister. I have a holiday home about 50 metres from where she went missing. Everybody is looking and searching for any sign of Marie‚ said Liza Gautschi.

Marie’s father‚ Atle Ostbo‚ earlier told Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet: We have not given up hope.

He said the group of students had gone for a walk in the early evening but returned to the lodge when the weather turned bad. Marie‚ however‚ stayed on the beach.

The group only realised about 30 minutes later when they wanted to have dinner that she was not inside yet and raised the alarm.

He posted a photograph of them together on Facebook.

Marie was taking a break from her studies in political science in Toulouse‚ France.

A search operation is continuing for a Norwegian tourist who disappeared on Wednesday while taking a walk on the beach at Sedgefield on the southern Cape coast.

According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) at Wilderness‚ despite an extensive search‚ so far only a cellphone‚ a hat and shoes belonging to the woman‚ 21-year-old Marie Ostbo‚ have been found.

They were discovered on the beach by police in the early hours of Thursday.

The SA Police Services‚ Community Police‚ a police K-9 search and rescue unit‚ a police dive unit‚ Western Cape Government Health EMS‚ Wilderness Search and Rescue‚ the ASR/EMS Skymed rescue helicopter‚ NSRI Wilderness crew‚ and Neighbourhood Watch members‚ had searched throughout the day but no trace had been found of the missing woman‚ the NSRI said.

Police are continuing in an ongoing search operation and investigations.

NSRI Wilderness are on alert to assist Police and the Emergency Services and Neighbourhood Watch are continuing to support Police in their ongoing search.

All possibilities are being explored and investigated‚ the NSRI said.

The missing woman‚ who was studying in France and on a tour of South Africa‚ arrived in Sedgefield with a group of other young international student tourists on Wednesday.

At around 6pm on Wednesday some of the group went for a walk on the beach and returned at around 7pm which was the time that Ostbo was last seen on the beach‚ about 100 metres from the backpackers’ establishment where they were staying.

When friends noticed that she had not returned they went searching for her but to no avail. They then contacted the police and NSRI.

At the time of her disappearance‚ Ostbo was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt.



Tourism Observer

Birmingham’s only American connection is to be grounded, while British Airways will stop flying from Heathrow to western Norway’s two biggest cities.

United Airlines says its last-ever flight on the Birmingham-New York (Newark) route will take of on 5 October 2017. A spokesperson said: “We have regretfully taken this decision because of the route’s poor financial performance.”

Passengers with existing bookings are being contacted and offered alternative flights or refunds.

A number of airlines have flown between Birmingham and New York over the years, with British Airways operating to JFK in the 1990s. The United link has operated for 20 years.

In January, American Airlines abandoned its Birmingham-New York JFK service after 20 months.

The airport issued a statement saying it was disappointed by United’s decision. While the Boeing 757-operated route represents less than 1 per cent of Birmingham’s passenger numbers, it is an invaluable link in terms of profile.

We expect to be making an announcement shortly regarding another airline serving North America non-stop from Birmingham, giving passengers additional choice, the statement continued.

There has been speculation that either Norwegian or Thomas Cook Airlines could launch transatlantic routes from the West Midlands airport.

United is also grounding its Glasgow-Newark service for six months over the winter, in response to a seasonal reduction in market demand. The airline’s Edinburgh-Newark link will continue.

Norwegian’s new routes from Edinburgh to Stewart in upstate New York, Hartford in Connecticut and Providence in Rhode Island will continue through the winter, eroding demand for United’s long-established services from Scotland’s two biggest cities to Newark.

In addition, Dublin airport has become a key hub between UK regional airports and the US, with passengers able to clear immigration and customs in the Irish capital.

British Airways is dropping services from Heathrow to both Bergen and Stavanger on 28 October 2017, as both routes are no longer commercially viable. BA has a single daily round-trip to each city.

Norwegian is the main competitor, with double-daily services from Gatwick to both airports.

BA said: We are sorry for any issues that this decision may cause to our customers' travel plans.




Tourism Observer
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Norwegian reached a new milestone in June, flying more than three million passengers in one single month.

Since Norwegian first started flying in 2002, the airline has now carried over 200 million passengers.

Norwegian carried 3,059,402 passengers in June, a 10 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.

The total traffic growth (RPK) increased by 19 per cent this month, driven by 20 per cent capacity growth (ASK).

The average load factor for June was 90 per cent with Norwegian’s long-haul aircraft seeing a load factor of 95 per cent, which is higher than June last year.

Norwegian’s long-haul routes had a passenger growth of 38 per cent.

Norwegian operated 99.2 per cent of the scheduled flights in June, of which 73.8 per cent departed on time.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said: “We reached several milestones this month, both in terms of passenger numbers and fleet renewal. We were also named the ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline’ for the third consecutive year and ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe’ for the fifth year in a row at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. I’m very grateful that more than 200 million passengers have shown confidence in us and chosen to fly with Norwegian since we began in 2002. Over the past few years, our growth has been driven by our long-haul routes, and this will continue.”

Norwegian’s fleet renewal program continues with full force in with the delivery of the company’s two first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in June.

In addition, Norwegian took delivery of three Boeing 737-800 aircraft this month. With an average age of only 3.6 years, Norwegian’s fleet is one of the world’s “greenest” and most modern.



Tourism Observer
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Budget airline Ryanair is launching transatlantic flights to the US. The low-cost airline is teaming up with budget rival Norwegian to offer long-distance trips to customers from this summer.

Air passengers will be able to book cheap flights from a range of UK airports to destinations including New York, New Jersey and Boston.

They will be able to buy flights through the website of either Ryanair or Norwegian with a single ticket and transfer at connection airports, while baggage will be automatically moved between planes.

Routes are yet to be confirmed, but may see passengers setting out on Ryanair flights to Gatwick, Cork or Barcelona before boarding a Norwegian flight towards JFK Airport in New York, Boston Logan or Los Angeles LAX if flying from London or Barcelona, or a smaller airport such as T.F. Green Airport if flying from Cork.

A Ryanair spokesman told the Daily Mail: “Given we have the largest route network in Europe, it’s a logical move and a very attractive proposition for long haul carriers.”

The head of Norwegian Bjorn Kjos told the news site that the airline was open to doing a similar deal with Easyjet but that talks were still ongoing.


An average flight on sale from Ryanair costs €45 and at Norwegian it is around £96.22. A typical flight from London to New York costs more than £800.

Low-cost airline Norwegian is ready to take-off its biggest year ever, with the introduction of brand new aircraft, exclusive new routes – including its first long-haul flights outside the USA – and more affordable flights on the UK’s only direct low-cost transatlantic services.

Europe’s third largest low-cost airline will expand its young aircraft fleet with nine brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and launching Boeing’s latest aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX.

These new aircraft will unlock more affordable flights and never before seen routes while offering UK passengers, high-quality travel at great value. Norwegian last year, carried more than 4.5 million passengers from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Birmingham airports.

The fast growing airline launched more than 10 new routes from the UK, including routes to Boston, Oakland-San Francisco and Las Vegas on its award-winning USA flights at a time when Norwegian flew more than four million passengers to and from Gatwick for the first time in a single year.

AirAsia has been named the World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth year in a row and its maiden title as the World's Leading Inflight Service at the 23rd World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final held in Male, Maldives.

Asia's largest low-cost carrier beat contenders from five continents to secure the award, including Ryanair, easyJet, Jetstar Airways, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Norwegian, Kulula, Mango, fastjet, flydubai, Air Arabia, flynas and West Air. "What a thrill to win World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth straight year.

It's a great honour to round out what has been a great year for AirAsia, not just financially but in terms of recognition from the industry," Group Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said today. AirAsia also won the World's Leading Inflight Service title for the first time ever, beating full-service carriers Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Qantas Airways, Lufthansa, American Airlines and Air Canada.

The win builds on AirAsia's success earlier this year when it secured Asia's Leading Inflight Service award from WTA for the first time. "I’m also super proud of our first World’s Leading Inflight Service award. I've always said we have amazing crew and amazing inflight products, and we've proven it by beating not one, not two, not three, but eight full-service carriers for the prize," he said in a statement.

He said there are more to come for AirAsia as the airline is always working on more innovations, and not just for inflight. "Right now, we are exploring ways to make the airport experience better. One thing we're looking at is fast-tracking guests who share their travel profile with immigration authorities.

We expect to run the trial at selected airports in Asean in the not-too-distant future, so keep an eye out for it," he said. The WTA serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the travel and tourism industry, as chosen by thousands of travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers.

Airlines are judged on customer satisfaction and service quality, overall business performance, product innovation, staff relations and development, corporate social responsibility and contribution to local community, commitment to sustainable policies and fulfillment of long-term corporate vision. AirAsia is Asia's leading low-cost carrier, with an extensive network of more than 120 destinations in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East and Africa.

It is also the only airline to fly direct to all 10 Asean countries, including some 60 unique routes in the region. AirAsia was also named World's Best Low-Cost Airline for the eighth year in a row at the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards in July. --Bernama

In the long term, Britain may pay a high cost for last week's vote to quit the European Union (EU). That said, it could mean a low cost vacation for travelers.

Since the United Kingdom voted in favor of Brexit, the value of the British pound has fallen to the lowest levels in three decades.

"It's a great time to be in London, " Travel and Leisure News Director Sara Clemence told said "On the Money" in a recent interview. "If you are there now, if you were there last week, you saw things get 15 percent cheaper overnight," she said.

"Your hotel stay, your restaurants, your museum admissions everything."

A weaker pound means a stronger dollar and a cheaper trip for U.S. visitors, which according to Visit Britain, numbered 3.3 million in 2015. They spent a record $4.4 billion dollars.

Last week, Hotels.com said its site saw a 50 percent spike in searches for travel to Britain. So can a trip to England fit in your budget this year?

Even though the currency changes have an effect on the prices on the ground, she explained. for hotel and airfare prices, some of them may be changing but it's not like they're discounting them across the board, she added.

However, airfares are a lot lower than they were a couple years ago. A couple years ago you may have paid $1200 dollars, now you'll pay $500 or $600.

British Airways had a "Brexit" fare sale last week, selling economy fares from New York to London for as little as $639 round-trip.

Yet Clemence pointed out the cheaper fare trend is not due to Brexit, but instead were low-fare airlines that are going Trans-Atlantic, so they're just bringing down those costs tremendously. Wow Air and Norwegian are new low cost carriers offering flights from U.S. cities to London for about $500.

In the other direction, a record 4.9 million U.K. travelers journeyed to the U.S. last year, breaking the previous record set in 2000.

According to the Commerce Department, the U.K. was the third-largest source of international visitors to the U.S., behind only Canada and Mexico.

On the flip side, a weaker pound could mean fewer British tourists flying to multiple destinations within the U.S.

It just got much more expensive for Brits to come here," Clemence says, and we might see a dip in visits to places like New York and Miami and Chicago. That then might mean that prices will come down, which is good for domestic tourists too who want to visit those places.

If you do decide to make that trip to London, should you exchange your dollars for British pounds before you get on that plane?

Clemence said there were some strategies that you can use. If you think the pound is going to go back up, and you're planning a trip, you might think about buying your currency now. Before you go.

Clemence cautioned you need to factor in possible exchange fees. Since fees that you might pay could cancel out all the savings that you could get.

She also recommended using an ATM card or a credit card that doesn't charge you a foreign exchange fee.

That is generally the cheapest way to get cash when you're travelling overseas, she added.

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos is considering placing a follow-on order for more Boeing 787-9s in “a couple of years,” which he would use to expand its London Gatwick operation.

However, Kjos cautioned that this growth depends on Norwegian securing more slots at the south London airport, which would require a second runway to be built. Heathrow and Gatwick are both battling to secure an extra runway, a decision that rests with the UK government.

Norwegian operates nine 787s, eight of which are the smaller -8 variant. With the airline’s current order book, this will grow to a total 787 fleet of 40 aircraft over the next three years. Some of these aircraft are leased.

Speaking to ATW on the sidelines of the Aviation Club lunch in London on March 17, Kjos said Norwegian would ideally like to operate 50 787s from London Gatwick. This will require a fresh order.

“That is just Gatwick. We would like to operate at least 50 Dreamliners from Gatwick, provided we have the slots. We need another runway,” he told ATW. In a statement issued shortly after the lunch, Norwegian added it was also willing to add 100 short-haul aircraft to its Gatwick base. Norwegian is Gatwick’s third largest airline.

“This is by far the most significant and positive intervention by an airline in the expansion debate to date,” Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said.
When asked about whether Norwegian could acquire another airline to expand its Gatwick slot portfolio, Kjos replied: “I don’t think we can get that many slots, even if we acquire them through another airline.”

Any follow-on order would purely be for 787-9s, rather than the -8 variant. “The -9 has a lower seat cost and we only go with seat costs,” he said. However, Kjos has no plans to dispose of Norwegian’s eight -8s. “We need them [-8s] to open new routes; they are very good for new markets.”

Norwegian’s order for 100 737 MAXs will also help with its long-haul expansion, as it plans to operate the twinjets on transatlantic services.

Kjos said Norwegian has enough short-haul aircraft in its order pipeline, so there is no immediate need for a follow-on narrowbody order. The short-haul aircraft it has already committed to will be used for long-haul feed. “We need between 50 and 100 more short-haul aircraft in operation, just to take transfer passengers,” he said.

From Gatwick, Norwegian operates long-haul services to Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and New York, with plans to add Boston and Oakland (San Francisco) this year.

The French Caribbean island of Martinique is back on the tourist map in a big way, in large part due to ramped up airlift from destinations like New York and Miami.

Now, the airlift renaissance is continuing.

After a successful first winter season, Norwegian will be resuming its nonstop flights to Martinique later this year.

The low-cost European carrier will be relaunching its nonstop flights from Baltimore-Washington, Boston and New York’s John F Kennedy airport on Nov. 10.

Norwegian first began its nonstop service between the US and Martinique last December.

The flights will operate three times per week from New York and twice per week from Baltimore and Boston, respectively.

“This winter’s air service to Martinique with Norwegian is a great success, and US visitors are enthusiastically discovering this gem in the heart of the Caribbean that is Martinique,” said Muriel Wiltord, Director Americas for the Martinique Promotion Bureau. “Having Norwegian announce its service to Fort-de-France for 2016/17 is truly exciting. Our US visitors will be able to book early for the next winter season at an excellent rate, while benefiting from modern and comfortable air service.”

Flights to both Martinique and Guadeloupe begin as low as $49 one-way, including taxes.

“We are pleased to see the positive response from American travelers who are now enjoying easier access and affordable fares to the Caribbean, and if demand continues to grow, we hope to make this a year-round service,” said Thomas Ramdahl, Norwegian’s Chief Commercial Officer.

Norwegian operates the service on Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

How many people does it take to cut a route launch cake? In Tenerife North, which saw the start of two new Norwegian domestic Spanish routes from Madrid and Barcelona, it’s four.

However, 110 kilometres away in Gran Canaria it takes five (maybe the cake was harder?). The Canaries airport was celebrating three new Norwegian services – two domestic (Barcelona and Madrid) and one international (Karlstad in Sweden).

Norwegian used the first week of the W15/16 season to start six new routes from four of its bases, five of which were domestic Spanish routes.

The average sector length of these routes was 2,251 kilometres – with the longest route being the 4,126-kilometre Gran Canaria (LPA) to Karlstad (KSD) airport pair, while the shortest was the 1,482-kilometre link from Malaga to Tenerife South (TFS). The average weekly frequency of the new routes was four.

Ryanair provides competition on four of the six new routes, all with a matching or superior weekly frequency.

Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery today of the line’s largest ship to date, the 164.600 gross ton Norwegian Escape, from Meyer Werft during a ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany, after a building period of only 17 months. Norwegian Escape is the first ship in the company’s new Breakaway Plus-Class, signifying an evolution of Norwegian Cruise Line and bringing to life the brand’s promise of freedom and flexibility with a premium experience from bow to stern. Following delivery today, Norwegian Escape sets sail for Hamburg for the start of her European inaugural festivities, after which the ship will make the crossing from Southampton to her year-round homeport of Miami on October 29. The ship will be christened in Miami on November 9.

“Norwegian Escape’s arrival marks a true evolution for our brand – we’ve capitalized on the best of our Breakaway-Class ships and taken freedom and flexibility to the next level with this incredible new ship,” said Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Once again, the team at Meyer Werft, along with our new build and operations teams, and all of the ship’s officers and crew have done a remarkable job and we cannot wait to welcome guests on board this spectacular new vessel.”

“We are thrilled to deliver the first in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Plus-Class,” said Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner with Meyer Werft. “Norwegian Escape is the newest and most advanced cruise vessel on the seas and we are proud of the team that worked diligently to design and build her.”

To celebrate the arrival of the newest member of the fleet, Norwegian Cruise Line has launched a special offer in Continental Europe as part of the Freestyle Choice Campaign. Guests booking a cruise of 5 to 16 nights between Oct 22 and Nov 9, 2015, sailing before April 30, 2016, will receive a free internet package and can also choose an additional free extra of those offered within the campaign.

Norwegian Escape, the largest in Norwegian’s fleet of 14 vessels, features an elevated design that makes for a decidedly upscale experience. Quality finishes, curated artwork and the most luxurious The Haven by Norwegian® exclusive ship-within-a-ship suite complex are just a few of the standout features that put Norwegian Escape in a class of her own.

Norwegian Escape’s Haven is the largest in the fleet and the most luxurious. At the heart of the private enclave on the top of the ship lies a three-storey covered courtyard. An expanded forward sundeck with a cantilevered whirlpool, along with a new outdoor dining space in the Haven’s private restaurant make Norwegian Escape’s Haven the ultimate small ship experience, while still providing the freedom to enjoy large ship dining, entertainment and amenities.

Norwegian Escape’s dining options offer guests a mix of complimentary options, signature favourites and new premium speciality outlets. Showcasing all-new upgraded menus across all restaurants, the ship’s 11 complimentary dining offerings and signature speciality restaurants Le Bistro, Cagney’s and La Cucina rival those of luxury lines, with menu highlights including Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, Fresh Maine Lobsters and Steak au Poivre with cognac sauce. Two new speciality restaurants from James Beard Award-Winning Iron Chef Jose Garces include Bayamo, a Latin seafood speciality restaurant, and Pincho Tapas Bar. Also new on board is the Food Republic, a sophisticated food hall developed by Miami-based The Pubbelly Restaurant Group. The combination of choice and quality in dining options on board and her upmarket design sets Norwegian Escape apart in the contemporary cruise market.

Continuing with Norwegian’s commitment to excellence in entertainment, Norwegian Escape features two truly spectacular Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals that headline the Escape Theater: After Midnight, the smash-hit musical that combines the big-band songs of Duke Ellington and the best dancing from Broadway; and Million Dollar Quartet, the smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. In a new concept exclusive to Norwegian Escape, the Supper Club has been re-imagined for an unforgettable dinner and show. For The Record: The Brat Pack™ is a critically acclaimed Hollywood night that celebrates classic soundtracks of motion picture masters in a one-of-a kind 360° post-modern cabaret.

Nightlife on board includes outposts of several popular land-based outlets, including the first-ever Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant and 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar at sea, a music venue and outdoor bar on The Waterfront that features live nightly performances. The District Brew House, a hip, urban craft beer hall featuring an exclusive partnership with Miami’s own Wynwood Brewing Company, will serve up more than 24 draft beers while The Cellars, A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar, features an array of immersive wine experiences, focusing on tasting, education, and the enjoyment of wine. Norwegian Escape will also feature Miami’s oldest and most legendary bar, Tobacco Road.

Norwegian Escape’s recreation spaces are unrivalled, with the largest ropes course at sea leading a wide array of activities. This three-storey multiplex of heart-pounding challenges complete with two planks and five Sky Rails, zip tracks that allow guests to soar through the air. On the top of the ship, guests will find a redesigned pool deck area that features an open area for sunbathing, a double-deck bar and two new large format LED screens. Norwegian Escape’s Aqua Park is the largest at sea and includes a new tandem Aqua Racer slide, complete with a clear acrylic section to further enhance the thrill of this adventure ride. Adding to the family fun, Norwegian Escape features an expanded Kids’ Aqua Park with an enclosed slide, rope climb fun zone and spray cannons for kids to splash and play in their own designated space. Along with an expanded Splash Academy youth center that includes dedicated play spaces for specific age groups, Norwegian Escape also offers the line’s first nursery for cruisers two and under.

In addition to family oceanview staterooms that accommodate up to five guests, Norwegian Escape’s accommodation includes Studios, designed and priced for solo travellers; and many options for families, multi-generational groups, spa enthusiasts and more.

Boeing and Norwegian have finalized an order for 19 787-9 Dreamliners valued at more than $5 billion at current list prices. The order also includes options for 10 more 787-9s, as the carrier looks to significantly grow its existing long-haul fleet into the next decade. It is the largest single order for 787-9s from a European airline.

Norwegian currently operates eight 787-8s and has previously ordered 11 787-9s through lease agreements. With today's order, the carrier, headquartered in Oslo, will expand its total 787 fleet to nearly 40 airplanes in the coming years.

"This order of 19 new Dreamliners is a major milestone and enables Norwegian to offer a wide range of new routes to consumers worldwide. The order is also essential to further strengthening the company in the global competition," said Bjorn Kjos, Norwegian's CEO. "After two years of operating low-cost long-haul flights, our load factors have averaged in the nineties, which proves the demand for affordable flights between Europe and the US and Europe and Asia. Future growth and competiveness in the long-haul market depends on the fuel-efficient, state-of-the art 787 Dreamliner. Not least, the Dreamliner offers the best passenger experience."

The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family. With the fuselage stretched by 6 meters (20 feet) over the 787-8, the 787-9 can fly up to 20 percent more passengers and 23 percent more cargo farther yet with the same exceptional environmental performance – 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than the airplanes they replace.

"Norwegian has led the way in utilizing the exceptional performance of the 787 to develop a successful low-cost long-haul operation," said Todd Nelp, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The addition of 787-9s to the Norwegian fleet will enable it to grow its route structure, while providing more range and capacity with outstanding passenger comfort."

The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passenger-pleasing features such as the industry's largest windows, large overhead bins with room for everyone's bag, modern LED lighting, air that is cleaner, more humid and at a higher pressure for greater comfort and technology that senses and counters turbulence for a smoother ride.

Norwegian serves more than 130 destinations across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the USA and Southeast Asia, with a fleet that includes 90 Next-Generation 737-800s and eight 787-8s.

In 2014 the airline carried nearly 24 million passengers and has won numerous awards for its onboard service, including a SkyTrax award for 'Best low-cost long-haul airline.' With today's order for 19 787-9s, Norwegian has more than 150 unfilled orders from Boeing, including 100 737 MAXs

Pictured this week in Durban picking up its ‘Highly Commended’ trophy in the Under Four Million Passengers category at the World Routes Marketing Awards from Katie Bland, Director, Routes (left) were: Cork Airport’s Head of Aviation Marketing Anita Gackowska; MD Niall MacCarthy; and Head of Finance and Commercial, Clive Power. The question is, would they have beaten category winner Halifax Airport in Canada if Norwegian’s news had broken a little earlier?

Twin US routes. Cork Airport has landed a pair of US routes – namely to Boston (launching next May) and New York (launching in 2017) – making the battle for US to Ireland passengers a three-airport competition with Dublin and Shannon. Listen up Cork Airport and Norwegian ‒ whatever ludicrously cheap rate Jedward offers you to attend the launch of the services, please, please, please don’t book them.

Norwegian has today announced plans to launch new direct low-cost transatlantic services from Cork to Boston (next May) and New York (in 2017). The new routes will be the only transatlantic flights to operate from Cork, in an Irish-US market that has been traditionally dominated by Dublin and Shannon. In addition, a new Cork to Barcelona route, to be operated up to five times weekly, will also be launched by Norwegian next summer. Rather than utilise Europe’s third largest LCC’s fleet of 787s for the job, Norwegian will seek to extract the benefit of Ireland’s most-westerly location on the fringes of Europe, and use 737 equipment for its US services.

Only two airports in Ireland currently have direct non-stop services to the US ‒ Dublin and Shannon ‒ with the former commanding 83% of weekly seats, using OAG Schedules Analyser data.

For S15, Shannon has 1,239 weekly seats to Boston, while over at Dublin, the Irish capital has 4,123 weekly seats to the US city. All 21 weekly services are flown by Aer Lingus across both airports. If Norwegian flies five weekly flights using its 189-seat 737-800s, it will command 15% of all weekly seats between Ireland and Boston, assuming Aer Lingus does not alter its operations between now and next summer. The extra 945 weekly seats added by Norwegian will see Dublin’s share of the Ireland to Boston market drop from 77% this summer to 65% in S16, with Shannon falling from 23% to 20% next year.

Again looking at this summer, Shannon has 2,590 weekly seats to New York JFK and 1,183 to New York Newark; Dublin has 7,097 weekly seats to JFK and 1,690 weekly seats to Newark. From Shannon, its 31 weekly flights to New York are split between Aer Lingus (six, JFK), Delta Air Lines (seven, JFK), British Airways (11, JFK) and United Airlines (seven, Newark). From Dublin, its 38 weekly flights to New York are split between Aer Lingus (14, JFK), American Airlines (seven, JFK), Delta (seven, JFK) and United (10, Newark). If Norwegian flies five weekly flights using its 189-seat 737-800s, it will command only 6.9% of all weekly seats between Ireland and New York, assuming the incumbents do not alter their respective capacities over the next two years from what they have flown this summer. The extra 945 weekly seats added to the New York market by the LCC, will see Dublin’s share of the Ireland market drop from 70% this summer to 65% in S17, with Shannon falling from 30% to 28% in two years’ time.
What they said…

Commenting on the LCC’s decision, Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos said: “Norwegian is leading the way in offering affordable transatlantic travel and with the new generation aircraft we have on order, we now have exciting plans to offer low-cost flights from Cork to Boston in 2016 and Cork to New York in 2017.

“We are delighted to offer a long-awaited service from the US to Cork and the southern parts of Ireland which will create huge business, leisure and tourism opportunities. Our new Cork to Barcelona route is also an exciting addition to our growing network.”

Cork Airport boss Niall MacCarthy added: “We’re delighted that Norwegian will operate Cork Airport’s first transatlantic service. Cork Airport has a robust hinterland with a well-developed industrial base and a fantastic tourism product. We’re sure there will be strong demand for these new transatlantic services from both business and leisure passengers. We look forward to working closely with Norwegian and our local partners to promote these new services and to grow passenger traffic at Cork.”