‘Door remains open’ for Cork-New York flights

Low-fares airline Norwegian is insisting that the “door remains open” to a potential Cork-New York route.

The airline moved to allay concerns after its CEO, Bjorn Kjos, said the runway is too short to accommodate the take-off of a fully-laden New York-bound Boeing 737MAX aircraft.

Norwegian will use the aircraft on its Providence (Boston) route from July — Cork Airport’s first direct transatlantic service.

But despite always insisting it planned to launch a Cork-New York route in 2018, Mr Kjos told the Irish Examiner on Friday calculations show Cork’s runway is just too short for a MAX aircraft to take off for New York’s Stewart Airport a further 250km south of Providence.

“The problem in Cork is the runway. If it was longer it is highly likely we could have done Stewart,” he said.

“Normally Boeing end up producing a better aircraft than the prototype but it remains to be seen if it is possible to fly to Stewart. If possible, we will do it. As it looks with the figures we have so far, it’s a little bit too far.”

But a spokesman for the airline said last night: “The door remains open to a potential Cork-New York route once we take delivery of the new Boeing 737MAX aircraft this summer and learn more about its operational capabilities.

"For now, our priority is to deliver the first ever transatlantic flights from Cork Airport, with the new Boston-Providence service, and we are delighted that the route is already proving to be one of our fastest selling.”

Aviation sources suggest the airline could use the European-made Airbus 321LR — it has 30 on order — on the New York route. But Norwegian said they have to use US-made Boeing. “Mr Trump wants American jobs and we are flying Boeing aircraft. We’re setting up a lot of American jobs and also a lot of bases. So we are doing exactly what the president wants,” Mr Kjos said.