Norwegian Long Haul (Oslo Gardermoen) is considering using its 100 B737 MAX jets to develop thin long-haul routes CEO Bjørn Kjos has disclosed.
During a recent Scandinavian aviation leadership seminar, Kjos said with the aircraft's improved range and fuel efficiency over its NextGen cousin, it will be able to serve Boston and Delhi International from Stockholm Arlanda non stop thereby negating the need for multiple sector flights.
With point-to-point services the way of the future, Kjos went on to say that additional markets in South America could be opened up out of Gran Canaria using the B737 MAX jets.
In his view, the need to transit via the traditional European hubs of Frankfurt International, London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and others will become obsolete as aircraft efficiency improves.
"Why travel four to five hours extra with a stopover to get somewhere far away? Maybe I'm an idiot, but it's actually cheaper to fly direct. Point-to-point is the future," he was quoted as saying by Sweden's flygtorget.
The CEO also stated that too much attention was being paid to Emirates (EK, Dubai International), Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) and Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) when in fact, the real threat to European carriers will come from the Far East.
