Norwegian to Offer Flights to Ireland, Scotland From Stewart Airport

NEW WINDSOR—The word “international” finally means something again at Stewart International Airport.

On Feb. 23, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a partnership with Norwegian that will have the airline carrier offer low-cost transatlantic flights from Stewart International Airport in Orange County to Belfast, Northern Ireland, Dublin and Shannon in Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland beginning this June.

Norwegian officials, as well as officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey staged a press conference at the New Windsor-based airport on Feb. 23.

Gov. Cuomo estimated that the partnership with Norwegian will result in $36 million in economic activity and the creation of 230 new jobs and $13 million in total wages.

“This exciting partnership will create new economic opportunities for Stewart Airport and the surrounding region and demonstrates the success of our efforts to transform airports across New York into 21st Century hubs of commercial activity,” Gov. Cuomo said. “With strategic investments in New York airports, we attract new jobs, businesses and opportunities and help grow local economies for generations to come.”

In addition to launching new international flights, Norwegian will open a base of operations at Stewart for its pilots and cabin crew, and will station Boeing 737-MAX aircraft at the airport.

Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye said of the deal, “This new service is a great milestone for Stewart International Airport. Connectivity to new destinations is vital for our airport to realize further growth and remain competitive.”

Stewart served more than 275,000 passengers in 2016, but projections for 2017 are about 400,000 passengers with as many as 700,000 in 2018.

Beginning in June, Norwegian will operate from Stewart under the following schedule:

• Edinburgh, Scotland: Daily flights begin June 15 for the summer season and operate through October 28, then three times per week during the winter season beginning October 29

• Belfast, Northern Ireland: Flights three times per week during the summer season from July 1 through October 28, then twice weekly for the winter season beginning October 29

• Dublin, Ireland: Daily service begins July 1 and transitions to three times per week during the winter season on October 29

• Shannon, Ireland: Twice-weekly service begins on July 2.

In addition to the Stewart flights, Norwegian also will offer flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Barcelona, Spain in June.

Tickets for Norwegian’s Boeing 737-MAX transatlantic service are now on sale at an introductory fare of $65 one-way including taxes. The airline will launch 10 new routes from Stewart International Airport, T.F. Green Airport in Providence, RI, and Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT, to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

“We are pleased to announce our new highly-anticipated transatlantic routes. Our new, non-stop service will enable tens of thousands of new travelers to fly between the continents much more comfortably and affordably,” said Bjorn Kjos, CEO and Founder of Norwegian. “Norwegian’s latest transatlantic offering is not only great news for the traveling public, but also for the local U.S. economies as we will bring more tourists that will increase spending, consequently creating thousands of new local jobs. We are excited to finally be able to launch service to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland and we would like to express a big gratitude for the extensive support from consumer groups, government officials, airports, tourism organizations and the travel and tourism industry on both sides of the Atlantic in our quest to offer affordable transatlantic flights for all.”

Norwegian operates 450 routes to 150 destinations in Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Thailand, Caribbean and the U.S.

Current air carriers at Stewart Airport that offer domestic flights include: Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta Connection and JetBlue Airways.

John Jordan
Editor, Real Estate In-Depth