Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, the low-cost European carrier, is looking to sell one-way tickets to Europe from as low as $69, Reuters reported.
From as early as 2017, Norwegian could be offering these fares from low-fee U.S. airports such as Westchester County Airport in New York, and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, said CEO Bjørn Kjos. Destinations under consideration at the moment include Edinburgh and Bergen in Norway, and average round-trips could cost $300, about $200 lower than similar flights made by the airline at the moment.
The airline, recently ranked as the world’s third-best low-cost carrier, is aiming to undercut competitors such as Lufthansa by making more non-stop flights to smaller cities. This would differ from Lufthansa’s model, which offers many destinations that pass through airport hubs in different cities.
“I think you will see a lot to that effect within five years’ time,” Kjos told Reuters. “What will happen to (Lufthansa) when everyone starts to fly direct?”
Transatlantic flights have recently seen a “cheap air” movement that has drastically cut prices on flights between the U.S. and Europe. There are around 22 budget airlines in Europe, and last year Norwegian launched low-cost one-way flights from London to New York, Los Angeles, and Fort Lauderdale for as low as $227. Icelandic airline WOW offered $158 tickets to Boston, and in the middle of this year, German carrier Condor launched a regular flight from Providence to Frankfurt, Germany, for around $279.