From Berlin directly to Los Angeles or New York: The Norwegian low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways surprisingly announced two new long-haul connections to the United States.
At the end of the summer holidays, flights will be taken off from Willy Brandt Airport in Schönefeld (BER), where there have hardly been any intercontinental flights to date. This was announced by airline CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen, connected from the USA, and BER boss Aletta von Massenbach on Wednesday at a press conference in Schönefeld.
“Berlin is getting back on track”, Berlin is getting going again, said BER boss von Massenbach – visibly pleased to be able to announce “excellent news” after the negative headlines about Easyjet. This would connect Berlin and Brandenburg to the east and west coasts of the USA.
One is “very proud” to start these lines to and from Berlin, said airline boss Larsen: “For far too long, the vibrant and culturally diverse city of Berlin was not adequately connected to the transatlantic.” Larsen formulated the claim of the company, with cheap transatlantic flights to enable many people to fly to the US and at the same time to be the “most environmentally friendly airline in the world”.
According to Larsen, there were no special conditions from Berlin Airport, which is the starting point for the planned expansion of the airline alongside London and Oslo.
Further connection to Florida?
Since Wednesday morning, the Norse Atlantic Airways website has been aggressively advertising the direct flights to New York and Los Angeles starting August 17th. Ticket sales have started.
If things go well, Larsen did not rule out further US connections from Berlin – for example to Florida, although not this year. The prices are tailored to the market in the capital region, which is characterized by low-cost airlines: When Norse flies daily from Berlin directly to New York from August 17, the one-way flight to JFK Airport currently costs from 160 euros, according to the airline . From August 19, direct flights from BER to Los Angeles will be offered three times a week from 189 euros one-way.
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The airline, which relies on connections between Europe and the USA as a business model, is one of the world’s youngest airlines, only founded by Larsen in March 2021. He is the main shareholder. At the age of 21, the self-made entrepreneur and enthusiastic pilot built up a ship management company that now employs 16,000 people and is one of the largest in the world.
Norse will be flying the brand new Boeing 787, only three or four years old. According to Larsen, the fleet currently consists of 15 aircraft. The so-called “Dreamliner” are 50 percent quieter and emit 25 percent less carbon dioxide, the airline advertises. The brand was inspired by the “Oseberg longship” in Oslo, a “symbol of the tireless inventiveness of Viking explorers,” according to the airline’s own PR.
Favorable time for the BER
Norse also relies on business customers in Berlin and – for example with a view to Tesla’s Gigafactory – on air freight, for which the Boeing 787 offers enough space.
For Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, the time of the Norwegian airline’s decision could hardly be more favorable: BER had just suffered a serious setback due to the announcement by the local market leader Easyjet that it was partially withdrawing from the Berlin location. And the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, which recently withdrew from Frankfurt am Main Airport and switched to the cheaper Nuremberg Airport, is demanding lower fees in Berlin.
Norse CEO Larsen did not want to comment directly on the competitor’s statements, but emphasized that the burden of fees in Germany is a challenge for every airline.
So far, only United Airlines flies direct to New York
Berlin has hardly any direct long-distance connections – a structural problem for decades. The main reason is that Lufthansa uses Frankfurt am Main and Munich as hubs for its intercontinental routes for historical reasons. So far, only United Airlines has flown directly from BER to the USA, all year round, from Berlin to New York.
The first US direct long-haul connection from BER only started in March 2022. A direct connection to Washington initially announced by the airline for May has been shelved.
So far, there are other long-haul connections from Willy Brandt Airport daily to Singapore with the low-cost airline Scoot. Qatar Airways flies to Doha, the capital of Qatar, an air hub to Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Politics and business welcome the announcement
Norse’s announcement was welcomed by politicians and business. “We see it clearly, whether it’s a trade fair, museum or Mauerpark, people want to go to Berlin,” said Economics Senator Stephan Schwarz (SPD). “Norse Atlantic Airways’ decision is a wise response to strong demand for Berlin in North America.”
His Brandenburg colleague Jörg Steinbach (SPD) rated the news as an increase in the “attractiveness of BER”. It is also pleasing “that the Boeing Dreamliner will be used on these routes”.
Burkhard Kieker, Managing Director of Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, said: “We are pleased that the Americans are longing for Berlin again.” The USA is the most important overseas market for Berlin tourism.
Both new connections are “extremely important for Berlin as a business location,” said Robert Rückel, Vice President of the IHK Berlin. But now it is important that the framework conditions for all airlines at BER are competitive and that there are no further losses on medium and short-haul routes. The economy of the capital region is “dependent on a constantly growing number of city and intercontinental flights,” said Rückel.
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