Brings Total Number Of The Single-Aisle Airplanes Ordered By The Carrier To 78

Orders for another 15 B737-800 airplanes have been received by Boeing from Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, commercially branded 'Norwegian." The order, valued at $1.2 billion at list prices, was announced Tuesday at the Paris Air Show and brings the total number of 737-800s Norwegian has ordered direct from Boeing to 78. The carrier also has finalized its contract to purchase three Boeing 787 Dreamliners, an agreement the Oslo based operator announced in May, which brings the total number of Boeing 787s it will operate to five including two to be leased from ILFC.

The order announcement was made at the Paris Air Show by Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Sales & Marketing Marlin Dailey and Norwegian Air Shuttle CEO Bjorn Kjos. "Norwegian continues to be a leader in the industry by providing its passengers with both the new Boeing Sky Interior and Wi-Fi on its new Boeing 737-800's – this is a terrific combination for passengers on the most fuel efficient single-aisle airline operating in today's market," Dailey said. "Norwegian has achieved great success and we take pride in the 737's contribution to its achievements."

"At Norwegian, we are committed to being progressive and thinking long term. This order gives us an opportunity to secure and invest in the company's future. These new Boeing 737-800s aircraft will give us a tremendous competitive advantage, enabling us to reduce our overall costs even more," said Norwegian's CEO Bjorn Kjos. "Brand new, fuel-efficient aircraft are necessary for us to continue to grow. In the long run, owning is more advantageous than leasing and as we begin to phase out our older aircraft, it is crucial we are able to purchase new airplanes. From an environmental perspective, we know that Boeing is continuously working on measures to reduce emissions, making new aircraft a win-win for both the environment, our passengers and for us as a company," he added.

Boeing says the digitally designed Next-Generation 737 is the most technologically advanced airplane family in the single-aisle market. Today's operators fly 737s that are 5 percent more fuel efficient than the first Next-Generation 737s and additional improvements are on the way. Boeing says its performance improvement package will boost fuel efficiency by approximately 2 percent through aerodynamic and engine changes. The improvements to the airframe and engine are expected to be in service between mid-2011 and early 2012 and will be incorporated into the 15 aircraft ordered by Norwegian.

Norwegian is the third largest low-cost airline in Europe. It operates 238 routes to 97 destinations across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East. More than 13 million passengers flew with the airline in 2010.

FMI: www.boeing.com