Summary
- Norse Atlantic Airways has operated the first-ever non-stop flight between Norway and Australia.
- The airline operated a chartered flight from Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) to Darwin International Airport (DRW), landing at the latter on August 4.
- Previously, Norse operated the 787’s first-ever flight to Antarctica.
Norse Atlantic Airways has operated the first-ever non-stop flight from Norway to Australia, with the airline’s Boeing 787-9 being chartered by AlbaStar, a Spain-based carrier.
Flying directly from Oslo to Darwin
According to Flightradar24 data, the
787-9, registered as LN-FNB, departed Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) at 6:52 local time (UTC +2) on August 3.
At 6:45 local time (UTC +9:30), the widebody aircraft landed at Darwin International Airport (DRW) on August 4.
Photo: Norse Atlantic Airways
Norse highlighted that this was a first in aviation, with the flight directly connecting Norway and Australia, which underpinned the efficiency of the state-of-the-art 787-9 aircraft as well as the operational excellence of the airline’s charter team.
Furthermore, the long-haul low-cost airline stated that the aircraft covered around 14,730 kilometers (7,953 nautical miles) with a flight time of more than 16 and a half hours.
“The Dreamliner is uniquely suited to such extended flights, offering unparalleled passenger comfort, fuel efficiency, and environmental benefits.”
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Capabilities of the 787-9
Metter Birkedahl, the Director of Charter and Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI) of Norse, stated that the first direct commercial – charter – flight between Oslo and Darwin was a testament to its commitment to consistently delivering excellent service to Norse’s charter customers.
“The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the perfect aircraft for ultra long distance flying, and we are proud to demonstrate its capabilities on this historic route.”
After flying to DRW, the 787-9 operated a flight on behalf of AlbaStar to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Thailand, on August 5. On the same day, after landing at BKK at 15:49 local time (UTC +7), it has departed the capital of Thailand at 17:50.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
At the time of publishing, the Norse 787-9 has been flying from BKK to Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and was scheduled to land at FCO at 23:35 local time (UTC +2).
According to Boeing, the 787-9 can seat up to 296 passengers in a two-class configuration, with a maximum range of 14,010 km (7,565 NMI).
The Norse 787-9 that flew from OSL to DRW was equipped with 282 economy and 56 premium economy seats, with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powering LN-FNB, as well as Norse’s other 787s, ch-aviation data showed.
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Another first for the 787
In November 2023, Norse achieved another first with the 787-9 as the airline operated a flight with the type to Antarctica.
At the time, the 787-9, registered as LN-FNC, landed at Troll Airfield (QAT), transporting essential research equipment and scientists to the remote research station in Antarctica. In total, 45 people were onboard the flight to the southernmost continent.
The aircraft began its journey at OSL, stopping at Cape Town International Airport (CPT), South Africa, where it spent 40 hours before it departed on its final leg to QAT.
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