Norwegian will use Airbus A340 as a replacement aircraft on long-haul routes

Norwegian has signed an agreement to lease two Airbus A340-300 long-haul aircraft for flights to New York and Bangkok if the Dreamliner is delayed.

Norwegian has signed an agreement to lease two Airbus A340-300 aircraft to ensure that passengers can fly to and from New York and Bangkok if the Dreamliner is delayed. Both aircraft will be used until Norwegian takes delivery of the Dreamliner. The agreement is a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), which is binding on both parties. It will be a so-called "wet lease"; lease of aircraft with crew.

Both aircraft are owned by the Portuguese leasing company HiFly, which took over the aircraft this winter. The aircraft has previously been flown by Singapore Airlines and Emirates. The aircraft are subject to European safety legislation and supervision is conducted by European aviation authorities. Several European airlines lease aircraft to companies that need extra capacity. HiFly has had a number of major European airlines on its customer list.

As Norwegian has previously announced, customers who have booked flights with the Dreamliner can move their journey forward or get a refund. However, very few have taken advantage of this offer. All passengers who have booked tickets will receive more information about their flights directly from Norwegian via normal channels as soon as more details have been clarified.

More information on the aircraft can be found on HiFly’s home page.

More information about Airbus A340-300 is available on Airbus’ website.