Norwegian to Launch Flights from the U.S. to the Caribbean

MIAMI — Just two years after the launch of its controversial long-haul operation, and after announcing the launch of flights from Europe to Puerto Rico and St. Croix, Norwegian has announced a seasonal service from Boston, Baltimore and New York City to Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean as of December 3.With a frequency of three weekly flights from New York City and two from Baltimore and Boston to each French West Indies destination, the airline will deploy its 186-seat Boeing 737-800 fleet to cover this operation.“We launched our first long-haul flights to the US two years ago and the response from American travelers has been fantastic. It’s great to see that our low fares, friendly service and new, more environmentally friendly aircraft are appreciated. It is therefore a pleasure to be able to launch new, exotic routes between the US mainland and the Caribbean islands Guadeloupe and Martinique,” says Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos.Despite being voted as the world’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline and Europe’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the past three consecutive years by SkyTrax, the operations of the Norwegian airline have been controversial. Last year, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) questioned Norwegian business practices intended to minimize costs by circumventing labor and tax laws, which the association considers an unfair method of competition.Meanwhile, Norwegian continues its consolidation in the U.S. market by offering 25 direct routes between Europe and the U.S., and once the new service announced starts, it will become the largest foreign airline at New York’s JFK airport in terms of number of routes.“We will continue to expand in the US, by launching new routes and establishing more US bases,” assured Kjos.