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A Norwegian Atlantic Airlines plane in flight. (Photo courtesy of Norwegian Atlantic Airways)
Bjorn Tore Larsen bought a travel agency when he was just 18 years old and created what became an early marketplace. In the year In 2021, a Norwegian entrepreneur launched Norwegian Low-Cost Atlantic Airlines.
In doing so, he became one of the few people to go from travel consultant to airline CEO – although there’s an interesting path in between.
After leaving school at 16, Larson went offshore where he learned that the workers knew more about shipping than the company’s owners. He continued that education throughout his life. At the age of 18, he bought a travel agency near Oslo and soon developed a specialty in cruise ships, because naturally they traveled constantly to different ports. Soon the agency had a large share of that market.
At the same time, Larson started a shipping company and has been in that business ever since, successfully with thousands of employees worldwide. In the year He sold his travel agency in 1993 and has been in the travel industry for almost 30 years.
In the year In 2021, with the disappearance of Norwegian Air’s trans-Atlantic service (the carrier still flies in Europe), he saw an opportunity again. The airline has bought 15 new Boeing Dreamliners at low prices. With no airline experience, Larsen, along with some airline veterans, including some from Norwegian Air, bought the planes and launched Norwegian Atlantic, where Larsen is the majority owner.
In 2022, the carrier launched its first route from Oslo to New York. Since then, it has continued to add gateways in Europe and North America, most recently adding Paris to New York.
Current routes include New York (JFK) to Oslo, Paris and London. and Oslo to Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. Over the next few months, from London to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston; and Rome to New York. All flights are on sale now.
Larsen is constantly asked why he can succeed in the absence of other low-cost, transatlantic carriers, and he says the secret lies in a simple business model – non-stop long-haul flights and, for now, a focus on North America and Europe.
Bjorn Tore Larsen, Founder and CEO, Norwegian Atlantic Airways. (Photo courtesy of Norwegian Atlantic Airways)
In addition, there is a strong focus on costs. According to Larson, most of the airline’s expenses are on logistics and overhead costs and he is keeping those to a minimum. As a result, he says, he can offer prices at about half that of competitors (Paris-New York flights start at $289 one-way) while paying his staff competitively.
Besides lower prices, it’s those workers who are making the difference. Larson said he listens to his flight attendants and pilots, as he did with his crew when he started his cruise company. “It’s not the planes,” he said, “it’s the people.” While there is nothing particularly Norwegian about the service, the life of the aircraft is influenced by that heritage, including the Viking graphics on the tail, Larson said.
While the airline is mostly leisure-oriented, Larson said it’s a good option for business travelers who appreciate the value. He said he’s getting business from travel consultants, especially in the group space. The planes have 56 of the total 338 premium seats, but there are no luxury options because, as Larson said, “you don’t need a lie-flat to fly from London to New York.”
Looking ahead, Larsen said Norwegian Atlantic will fly “where and when people want to go,” including Asia and the Caribbean, depending on the market’s current service. Although it leases five of its 15 planes to another airline, it will acquire them in time for additional routes in 2024.
Although there is no loyalty program yet, Larsen is looking to develop one if it can be made profitable. The airline has virtual inter-route agreements with Spirit Airlines, EasyJet and Norwegian Air, which offer more than 600 weekly connections to European and US hubs.
Asked what it’s like to run an airline, Larson, a pilot himself, smiled and said, “I’m living the dream.”
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