Norwegian Air Shuttle orders 30 new Airbus craft

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the group that is hoping to launch flights from Cork and Shannon to Boston, has ordered 30 new Airbus aircraft.

The airline on Monday placed an order for 30 Airbus A321LRs, a new narrow-body long-haul craft, for its transatlantic services.

The craft have a single-class cabin and will be able to carry about 220 passengers over distances of up to 4,000 nautical miles (7,400km).

Norwegian will begin taking the delivery of the first A321LRs in 2019. It has 300 Airbus on order since June 2012.

Group chief executive Bjorn Kjos said the new craft would fit with Norwegian's expansion plans and future long-haul network.

“The Airbus A321LR is the newest narrow body long-haul aircraft on the market and with this order we will have a significant cost advantage and increased competitiveness,” he said.

The group's Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, plans to operate a low-cost long-haul network serving cities in Europe, the United States and Asia.

It is hoping to launch services from Cork and Shannon to Boston, but is waiting for the US department of transportation to grant it a foreign carrier’s permit.