Norwegian is introducing its Boeing 737 MAX to flights from Gatwick airport on selected European routes this summer.
The aircraft is the airline’s newest single-aisle aircraft, which it says reduces carbon and noise and gives passengers “a quieter ambience”, claiming the aircraft is 40% quieter than its Boeing 737-800s.
The low-cost carrier is the first airline to use the Boeing 737 MAX in Europe and will take delivery of 12 in 2018.
Norwegian currently has eight 737 MAX aircraft in operation on transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon to New York Stewart and Providence in Rhode Island.
From Gatwick this summer, the 189-seat aircraft will operate on flights to the Nordic cities of Helsinki, Oslo and Bergen. Further plans to expand to other European routes follow future deliveries of the aircraft.
Norwegian says the Boeing 737 MAX is 20% more fuel efficient than existing aircraft.
Chief commercial officer Thomas Ramdahl said: “We’re committed to flying our customers in the newest aircraft in the skies and the addition of the Boeing 737 MAX at our London Gatwick hub complements our existing young, modern and environmentally friendly fleet.
“Our 737 MAX aircraft are less than a year old and our passengers will be able to experience a high-quality service in new slimmer seats inside spacious cabins that are quieter for our passengers and the environment.”
Gatwick Airport’s head of airspace, Andy Sinclair, added: “We are fully committed to reducing noise for our local communities and will continue to work closely with our airline partners to support the introduction of quieter aircraft at Gatwick.
“We expect the proportion of quieter aircraft at Gatwick to increase over the coming years.”
Norwegian has more than 100 Boeing 737 MAX on order to eventually replace its older Boeing 737-800s. Its current fleet has an average age of 3.7 years.