Press release -
Aviation pioneer Amy Johnson announced as Norwegian’s latest British tail fin hero
“Amy Wonderful Amy”will become the airline’s latest British hero to grace aircraft
Norwegian has announced that pioneering pilot Amy Johnson will become its 2nd British tail fin hero, with the renowned pilot’s portrait set to appear on two Norwegian aircraft later this year.
Norwegian has always honoured iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, and already has more than 80 tail fin heroes featuring personalities who symbolise the spirit of Norwegian through innovation, challenging the norm, and inspiring others. To reflect Norwegian’s rapid growth in the UK, where it now flies 4.5 million UK passengers each year to 50 destinations, the airline has now begun a series of British tail fin heroes.
Amy Johnson will become Norwegian’s second ever British tail fin hero, following the announcement last year of ‘the world’s number one storyteller’ Roald Dahl as the first British tail fin hero.
Born in Hull in 1903, Amy Johnson CBE was the first female to fly solo from England to Australia in 1930, just one year after being awarded her pilot’s licence. Amy flew an open cockpit single engine Gypsy Moth which she named Jason – she left Croydon Airport on the 5th May 1930 and after 19 days and 11,000 miles arrived at Darwin, Australia. Amy was awarded a CBE in recognition of her towering achievement which also inspired the contemporary popular song “Amy Wonderful Amy”.
Amy went on to set many long distance flying records and as someone that once remarked “I am an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things” Amy Johnson perfectly captures the essence of Norwegian’s tailfin heroes. The Amy Johnson tail fin will take to the skies later this year when it will adorn both a Boeing 737 and Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, operating one of Norwegian’s many low-cost routes between the UK, Europe and the US.
Norwegian’s Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl said: “As Norwegian continues its rapid expansion in the UK, our ‘tail fin heroes’ offer us a perfect chance to pay tribute to some of the greatest Britons of all time. Amy Johnson is a giant in the history of aviation and a truly inspirational British figure so it is a huge honour to have her adorn our aircraft and help her take to the skies once more.”
Amy Johnson’s nieces Susan Crook and Judy Chilvers said:“We think that Amy would have felt very honoured to be chosen as a tail fin hero for Norwegian and as her nearest living relatives we are happy to see her back in the air where she was always at her happiest.”
Norwegian operates from four UK airports (London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh) carrying 4.5 million yearly UK passengers to 50 global destinations. Norwegian’s routes include the UK’s only direct low-cost flights to the US, with flights to 8 US cities from just £135 one way.
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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
