NAS presents first aircraft

Airline Industry Information, August 9, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) wants to establish routes to Europe after launching budget flights in Norway.

The airline will reportedly launch its budget routes on 1 September between Oslo and Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, and Tromso and the routes will be operated in the morning and late in the afternoon. The planned schedules mean that the six leased aircraft will be unused for about six hours in the day and it is these hours that the airline would like to use for international flights.

NAS administrative director Stig Willassen has said that the company sees the possibility of international routes, but that the main aim at the moment is to get the four domestic routes launched and working optimally, reported Aftenposten, a Norwegian newspaper.

NAS recently revealed the painting of the first of its aircraft that arrived at Oslo's Gardermoen airport. The aircraft will reportedly feature the faces of well-known Norwegians who have meant a lot to the country and walked their own paths. The first aircraft featured the face of Thor Heyerdahl and others to come include Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen.

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