Press release - 18 April 2011 09:50

Free In-flight WiFi a Hit Among Norwegian Air Shuttle Passengers

Norwegian’s free in-flight WiFi has received a warm welcome from the airline’s passengers. On some flights more than half the passengers went online – simultaneously. The wireless system hit a record high on the Oslo-Alicante flight on April 14 when 87 passengers were logged on at 30,000 feet.

“We’re overwhelmed by the response among our passengers and are gradually installing WiFi on all of our new aircraft,” said CTO at Norwegian, Hans Petter Aanby.

Some routes have proven to be more WiFi savvy than others. The flights between Oslo and Geneva stand out with between 40 and 50 percent of all passengers logged on. Other popular WiFi routes include Oslo-London, Oslo-Dubai, Oslo-Alicante, Stockholm-London and Las Palmas-Stockholm.

WiFi on all flights Oslo-Stockholm
Norwegian launched its high-speed broadband service in February, and is the only airline offering its customers an online experience on European routes. By summer 2011, 11 aircraft will have internet on board and by the end of the year, 21 will be quipped with this technology, provided by U.S. based Row 44. Starting in May, Norwegian will offer in-flight WiFi on all flights between Oslo and Stockholm. The service will be free of charge for the time being.

“This is a product that no other airline in Europe is currently offering, which gives us a huge competitive advantage. Our passengers will soon be able to see in the booking process whether the aircraft has WiFi,” said Aanby.

All new aircraft WiFi-enabled
In 2011, 15 brand new Boeing 737-800s will enter Norwegian’s fleet - all equipped with WiFi and the new Dreamliner interior, SKY. New aircraft also means lower emissions and reduced fuel cost.

Norwegian plans to install WiFi on its entire fleet by the end of 2012.

Contact:
Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen, Communications Manager, phone: +47 45 45 60 12

Topics

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, commercially branded “Norwegian,” is a public low-cost airline noted on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company is the second largest airline in Scandinavia, and has a route portfolio that stretches across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East. With competitive prices and customer friendly solutions and service, the company has experienced significant growth over the previous years. With more than 13 million passengers in 2010, Norwegian is the 3rd largest low-cost airline in Europe. Norwegian currently operates 57 aircraft on 238 routes to about 100 destinations and employs approximately 2 500 people.

Contacts

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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.