Norwegian Air and JetBlue (JBLU) , two low-cost carriers operating on the opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, have signed a Letter Of Intent to form an interline partnership. If the airlines pen the deal, passengers will be able to book connecting flights between the networks of the two airlines, with flights starting early Summer 2020.
The interim Chief Executive Officer of the European counterpart of the deal, Geir Karlsen, said that Norwegian is “very excited” about the partnership with JetBlue (JBLU) , which is “the largest airline at several of our key gateways in the United States, specifically New York JFK, Boston and Fort Lauderdale”.
“This partnership will create a plethora of new route connections for customers on both sides of the Atlantic”, Karlsen noted.
JetBlue’s (JBLU) CEO, Robin Hayes, commented that the deal “seamlessly connects JetBlue’s (JBLU) robust network throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with the exciting European destinations” on Norwegian’s route map. According to Hayes, both airlines share the belief that “customers benefit when we can bring competition and low fares” to flights between Europe and the Americas – a market, which is “dominated by joint ventures, legacy alliances and sky-high ticket prices”, he added.
But the competition will only heat up – between Norwegian and JetBlue (JBLU) .
While other long haul low-cost carriers are either bankrupt or struggling to stay afloat, on April 10, 2019, JetBlue (JBLU) announced that the U.S. based airline is planning to launch its own long haul flights from New York and Boston to London starting 2021. The East Coast-based airline will operate the routes with Airbus A321LR aircraft.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Air operates a daily flight from London Gatwick (LGW) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and two daily flights from London to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Just recently, citing the 737 MAX groundings, Norwegian cut its trans-Atlantic flights from Ireland, as leasing aircraft was no longer sustainable in the long-term.