​Norwegian joins industry body Airlines UK

Press release -

​Norwegian joins industry body Airlines UK

The UK subsidiary of Norwegian has become the latest member of Airlines UK, the industry body that represents UK-registered carriers.

The UK is playing an increasingly important role in Norwegian's growth and in 2016 the airline flew 4.5 million passengers to and from 4 UK airports, with further new routes, increased flights and new jobs planned in the UK this year. To support this growth, the UK subsidiary ‘Norwegian UK’ (NUK) was established in November 2015. NUK will allow Norwegian to build on its growing UK operation by accessing traffic rights to a series of global markets.

Airlines UK is the trade body for UK-registered airlines, with members representing all sectors of the industry. In 2015, Airlines UK members employed 76,000 people and were responsible for some 99% of UK airline output, carrying 144 million passengers and 1 million tonnes of cargo. The twelve Airlines UK member airlines – including Norwegian – are: British Airways, CargoLogicAir, DHL, easyJet, Flybe, Jet2.com, Monarch, Norwegian UK, Thomas Cook, Thomson Airways, Titan Airways and Virgin Atlantic. 

The association works with governments, regulators and legislators to promote the interests of UK airlines, and with organisations across the sector to encourage long-term and sustainable growth in aviation. It formulates opinions and engages with stakeholders on a number of issues, including airport capacity, taxation, sustainable aviation, disruptive passengers and regulation and consumer protection.

Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, said: “Norwegian are fast establishing a major presence in the UK, with current operations at 4 airports and exciting plans for future growth. As the association that advocates on behalf of UK-registered airlines we were keen to work more closely together with NUK to strengthen our campaigning voice and ensure that we are best representing the sector in discussions with governments and regulators. 

"There is a huge amount going on at the moment – from ensuring that the Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU safeguard market access for airlines to campaigning for lower rates of taxation on our industry and working with Government to produce an aviation strategy that promotes sustainable, long-term growth across the whole of the country. Partnering with NUK will better enable us to do this and we look forward to working with them over the months and years ahead.”

Lennart Ceder, Chief Operating Officer at Norwegian UK, said: “Airlines UK has a crucial role in shaping the thriving British aviation industry so as Norwegian continues its rapid UK growth, we are delighted to become members. Norwegian believes not just in healthy competition but also healthy respect between airlines so we look forward to uniting with other UK carriers to tackle the many challenges and opportunities we all face together.”

Notes to Editors

- Airlines UK contact: Tim Alderslade – tim.alderslade@airlinesuk.org or 07584 016925.

- Norwegian press office: pressuk@norwegian.com / 020 3874 6100

Airlines UK:

Airlines UK is the trade body for UK-registered airlines, with members representing all sectors of the industry. In 2015, Airlines UK members employed 76,000 people and were responsible for some 99% of UK airline output, carrying 144 million passengers and 1 million tonnes of cargo. The twelve Airlines UK member airlines are: British Airways, CargoLogicAir, DHL, easyJet, Flybe, Jet2.com, Monarch, Norwegian UK, Thomas Cook, Thomson Airways, Titan Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Topics

Norwegian in the UK:

  • Norwegian carries 4.5 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester Airports to 50 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4 million yearly passengers, and with more than 700 pilots, cabin crew and staff working from its Gatwick base
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 8 U.S destinations with fares from just £135 one way
  • 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 3.6 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for four consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2016, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in both 2015 and 2016

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

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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