Norwegian to start offering Northeast flights to Caribbean

Norwegian, the low-cost airline in a long-running dispute with rivals over adding U.S. flights, announced Thursday it will begin offering several East Coast flights to the Caribbean.

Starting Dec. 3, the airline will launch flights from Boston Logan International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Guadeloupe Islands and Martinique. Despite the dispute, the flights are permitted because the destinations are French islands.

Introductory fares will start at $79 one-way from the U.S. airports and $99 one-way from the islands in the French West Indies. The flights will be aboard 737-800 aircraft with leather seats and free Wi-Fi.

JFK will have flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Pointe-a-Pitre International Airport in the Guadeloupe Islands and flights Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to Aime Cesaire International Airport in Martinique.

BWI will have flights Tuesdays and Saturdays to Guadeloupe, and Mondays and Fridays to Martinique.

Boston will have flights Thursdays and Sundays to Guadeloupe, and Wednesdays and Sundays to Martinique.

"With these new and exciting routes, Norwegian will offer customers in the Northeast nonstop flights to two of the most idyllic islands in the Caribbean," said Bjorn Kjos, Norwegian's CEO. "Norwegian is fully committed to the U.S. market and we will continue to expand by offering more great nonstop destinations to American travelers and growing our U.S. crew bases."

Paul Wiedefeld, CEO for BWI, said Norwegian's flights are the sixth and seventh international destinations added at the airport this year. Other airlines added this year are WOW, with flights to Iceland, and Sunwing Airlines, with flights to the Bahamas and Dominican Republic.

"We continue working aggressively to boost international service," Wiedefeld said.

Dave Davis, CEO of Global Eagle Entertainment, said besides free wi-fi, the Norwegian flights will offer Live TV, music streaming and movies.

"GEE is proud to be aboard Norwegian's new airline as the provider of inflight connectivity and entertainment services," Davis said.

The expansion will likely rekindle opposition from U.S. airlines and their unions to Norwegian's pending application with the Transportation Department to provide low-cost flights.

Norwegian Air Shuttle is the third-largest low-cost carrier in Europe. Its Norwegian Long Haul subsidiary has been offering 31 routes at 10 U.S. airports.

But another subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, has asked to provide permanent discount service to the U.S.

Rival airlines and unions have fought the application based on concerns that the subsidiary, with an operating certificate from Ireland and plans for low-wage crews hired in Asia, will avoid labor and safety regulations.

Norwegian has noted that it has hired hundreds of U.S. crew members so far, and that the subsidiary's flights would be safe.

The application has been pending for a year and a half, and the Transportation Department hasn't signaled when it might be resolved. In the meantime, the House voted a year ago to block the application, but the Senate hasn't acted.