Harvey Milk takes to the skies as Norwegian’s latest tail fin hero

Press release -

Harvey Milk takes to the skies as Norwegian’s latest tail fin hero

Norwegian is proud to unveil its newest tail fin hero, and eighth American to be immortalised on a Norwegian aircraft: civil rights leader, Harvey Milk. His portrait graces the tail fin of a Norwegian Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Since Norwegian’s first aircraft took to the skies in 2002, the airline has always honoured iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, celebrating personalities who symbolise the spirit of Norwegian by pushing boundaries, challenging the norm and inspiring others.

Harvey Milk, among the best-known civil rights leaders in modern history, fearlessly pursued the freedom for every human being to live life with authenticity and courage. As one of the world’s first openly gay officials, Milk’s ground-breaking election in 1977 to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, offered hope for all marginalised people across the globe. Today, Harvey’s legacy lives on through award-winning films and documentaries, plays and operas, books, and scholarly contributions. His name graces schools, community centres, parks, and streets around the world, proving that his pursuit of acceptance and equality is remembered, honoured, and continues to this day.

Bjorn Kjos, Chief Executive Officer at Norwegian said: “Norwegian was founded on the premise of bringing affordable fares for all. Our message of inclusion goes beyond just that of affordable fares, it is unifying customers, colleagues, and business partners from all over the world who share our vision of diversity. Like ours, Harvey Milk’s mission was reflective of a pioneering spirit. He demonstrated a tireless hunger to look past the differences of people and instead focus on bringing them together for the greater good. We can’t think of a better way to honour Harvey Milk’s bravery and courage than to dedicate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to his legacy of equal rights – a tribute that will span the globe for years to come, reinforcing our joint commitment to making the world a smaller, friendlier and more inclusive place”.

Stuart Milk, nephew and co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation said: "We are proud to partner with Norwegian, having Uncle Harvey join the airline's forward-thinking Tail Fin Hero program that already includes change-makers like Sojourner Truth and Oscar Wilde. This is such a unique way to educate and celebrate those that have come before us, allowing for their legacies to live on. We look forward to seeing Harvey 'flying' into airports across the globe and continuing to spread his message of acceptance."

Harvey Milk joins the rank of recently spotlighted American tail fin heroes including Mark Twain, Charles Lindbergh, Arthur Collins, Babe Ruth, Clara Barton, Sojourner Truth and Benjamin Franklin. The Harvey Milk aircraft is more than a flying tribute – it is fitted with custom art that depicts the brave life Harvey led so that customers on board will not only see his name but truly understand and connect to his life’s work.

Norwegian will also support the Harvey Milk Foundation’s annual diversity and inclusion efforts and collaborate to identify how Norwegian can become an even stronger advocate for equality, understanding, and inclusion through its diverse workforce.

Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier flew 5.8 million passengers from the UK to over 50 global destinations in 2018. The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.8 years, with more than 150 new aircraft on order. Norwegian has been named ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline’ for the fourth consecutive year and ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe’ for the sixth year in a row at the renowned Skytrax World Airline Awards.

For more information about Norwegian’s tailfin heroes visit www.norwegian.com/uk/about/our-story/tail-fin-heroes/. 

Topics

Norwegian in the UK and Ireland:

  • Norwegian carries almost 6 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 30 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 1,000 UK-based pilots and cabin crew
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 12 U.S destinations, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro from London Gatwick
  • In 2017, Norwegian also launched affordable transatlantic flights from Edinburgh, Dublin, Cork and Shannon to the US East Coast, using the brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
  • Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations
  • The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.8 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for six consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2018, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
  • Norwegian Reward is the airline's free to join award-winning loyalty programme offering members CashPoints and Rewards that reduce the cost of Norwegian flights

Contacts

For journalists only

For journalists only

Press contact Norwegian Press Office +47 815 11 816
Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Press contact Marketing/sponsorship requests: marketing@norwegian.com

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Norwegian.com

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2023, the airline had 3.3 million passengers and a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 45 Bombardier Dash 8’s and three Embraer E190-E2's. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.

The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.

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