From Berlin directly to Los Angeles or New York: the Norwegian low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways has surprisingly announced two new long-haul connections with the United States.
At the end of the summer holidays, the flights will take off from Willy Brandt Schönefeld Airport (BER), where almost no intercontinental flights have been made to date. Airline CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen, linked from the United States, and BER chief Aletta von Massenbach announced Wednesday at a press conference in Schönefeld.
“Berlin is getting back on track”, Berlin is starting again, said BER head von Massenbach – visibly pleased to be able to announce “excellent news” after the negative headlines on Easyjet. This would link Berlin and Brandenburg to the east and west coasts of the United States.
It is “very proud” to launch these lines to and from Berlin, said airline chief Larsen: “For too long, the vibrant and culturally diverse city of Berlin has not been sufficiently connected to the ocean liner.” fly to the United States and at the same time be the “greenest airline in the world”.
According to Larsen, there were no special conditions from Berlin airport, which is the starting point for the airline’s planned expansion along with London and Oslo.
Further connection with Florida?
Since Wednesday morning, the Norse Atlantic Airways website has aggressively advertised direct flights to New York and Los Angeles starting August 17. Ticket sales have begun.
If things go well, Larsen has not ruled out further US connections from Berlin, for example with Florida, although not this year. Prices are adapted 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 17 August, the one-way flight to JFK airport currently costs from 160 euros, according to to the airline. From 19 August direct flights from BER to Los Angeles will be offered three times a week starting at 189 euros one way.
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The airline, which relies on links between Europe and the United States as a business model, is one of the youngest airlines in the world, founded by Larsen only in March 2021. It is the largest shareholder. At the age of 21, the self-made entrepreneur and enthusiastic pilot founded a ship management company that now employs 16,000 people and is one of the largest in the world.
The Norwegians will fly the brand new Boeing 787, only three or four years old. According to Larsen, the fleet currently consists of 15 aircraft. The so-called “Dreamliners” are 50% quieter and emit 25% less carbon dioxide, announces the airline. The brand was inspired by Oslo’s “Oseberg longship”, a “symbol of the tireless inventiveness of Viking explorers,” according to the airline’s PR.
Favorable time for BER
Norse also relies on business customers in Berlin and, for example in view of Tesla’s Gigafactory, on air freight, for which the Boeing 787 offers enough space.
For Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, the moment of the Norwegian airline’s decision could not be more favorable: BER had just suffered a serious setback due to the announcement by local market leader Easyjet of its partial withdrawal. from the Berlin office. And Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, which recently withdrew from Frankfurt am Main airport and switched to the cheaper airport in Nuremberg, is demanding lower fares in Berlin.
Norse CEO Larsen declined to comment directly on the competitor’s statements, but pointed out that the tax burden in Germany is a challenge for every airline.
So far, only United Airlines flies directly 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 a hub for its intercontinental routes for historical reasons. So far, only United Airlines has flown directly from BER in the United States, all year round, from Berlin to New York.
BER’s first long-haul direct connection to the United States only started in March 2022. A direct connection to Washington initially announced by the airline for May has been suspended.
So far, there are other long-haul daily connections from Willy Brandt Airport to Singapore with low-cost airline Scoot. Qatar Airways flies to Doha, the capital of Qatar, an air hub for Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Politics and business welcome the announcement
Norse’s announcement was welcomed by politicians and businesses. “We see it clearly, whether it’s a fair, a museum or a Mauerpark, people want to go to Berlin,” said economics senator Stephan Schwarz (SPD). “Norse Atlantic Airways’ decision is a wise response to Berlin’s strong demand in North America.”
His Brandenburg colleague Jörg Steinbach (SPD) rated the news as an increase in the “attractiveness of BER”. He also likes “that the Boeing Dreamliner is used on these routes”.
Burkhard Kieker, managing director of Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, said: “We are delighted that Americans want Berlin again.” The United States is the most important foreign market for Berlin tourism.
Both new connections are “extremely important for Berlin as a commercial location,” said Robert Rückel, vice president of 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 “depends on an ever-increasing number of urban and intercontinental flights,” said Rückel.
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