Norwegian Air Soars to No. 1 in NYC Region as Leading Foreign Airline

On Apr 26, 2019

Norwegian, the “World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul airline,” has overtaken established competitors to become the No. 1 foreign airline to serve the New York City region, achieving this milestone in less than six years of operation. In the most recent traffic report by Port Authority of New York & New Jersey traffic, Norwegian carried more passengers than any other foreign carrier for the first time ever, reinforcing its growing foothold in the region as a low-cost airline and a disruptor of transatlantic travel.

“If New York City is the barometer for success in the airline industry, our rapidly growing passenger numbers are proof positive that Norwegian is here to stay, with further efforts to deepen our roots in this market in the forthcoming years. Competition is at an all-time high and our business model of low fares and new planes is unmatched and attracting new travelers every day. Being No. 1 is a badge of honor that I attribute to the incredible crew, pilots, ground teams, and all the employees that make Norwegian an award-winning airline and I thank savvy New Yorkers for believing in our mission. New York City sets the bar very high for us around the world, and we are ready to forge forward as the innovator in low-cost air travel as we continue soar to the top,” said CEO and Founder Bjørn Kjos.

According to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Norwegian surpassed its most fierce competitors including Lufthansa, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Emirates carrying 2,078,847 passengers in a rolling twelve months ending in February 2019. Finally, Norwegian exceeded Air Canada, which has firmly held the position as largest foreign airline in New York City by passenger volume in the past. Norwegian overtook Air Canada by 11,800 passengers in February for the first time.

Norwegian took its first flight from the United States and John F. Kennedy Airport in May 2013, starting with two nonstop routes: Oslo and Stockholm. Since then, the airline has rapidly expanded to currently offer 11 nonstop routes to Europe from three major New York City airports, also including Newark Liberty International Airport and New York Stewart International Airport. Over 4.6 million passengers have flown with Norwegian in New York and New Jersey since its inception in 2013 to 2018.

Norwegian strives to innovate its product offerings, and earlier this year, the airline was the first to offer free WiFi on transatlantic flights. Additionally, its U.S. network continues to expand to include leading airports such as Miami International Airport and San Francisco International Airport, and with new routes scheduled to debut this summer including New York to Athens; Chicago to Barcelona; and from Boston to both Rome and Madrid.

In terms of routes, Norwegian is the largest airline in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles, as well as for all of California, offering more nonstop European routes out of the state than any other airline. The same applies to South Florida – Fort Lauderdale and Miami – and the entire Sunshine State, as Norwegian also operates to and from both Orlando and Tampa.

To book flights, visit Norwegian.com/us and to find the most affordable fares, go to the low fare calendar. Passengers on all of Norwegian’s flights are eligible to join Norwegian Reward, the airline’s award-winning loyalty program to earn CashPoints every time they fly, book a hotel or rent a car. In 2018, Norwegian Reward was named Program of the Year Europe and Africa for the second consecutive year.

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