White House gives backing to Cork and Shannon flights to America

The airline planning to launch low-cost transatlantic flights from Cork and Shannon this summer has welcomed comments from the White House backing its expansion to the US.

While Norwegian said it is still waiting for the US authorities to sanction a final licence before announcing route details and releasing tickets for sale, its CEO Bjorn Kjos told a Brussels briefing that the airline would serve one airport north of New York City and another in south Boston.

The firm expects its section 129 application to the Federal Aviation Administration to be processed soon and hopes to be able to formally announce routes from Cork and Shannon to the US within weeks.