TF Green Offers Norwegian Airlines Flights to Ireland for $99

WARWICK, RI — Norwegian Airlines announced this morning at TF Green Airport that it will begin service from Rhode Island to Ireland airports in Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Edinburgh and Shannon this summer, creating more than 150 U.S. jobs and providing Rhode Islanders year-round access to the Emerald Isle at a $65 introductory one-way rate, then $99 one-way, including tax, thereafter.

“They’ve been on sale online for two hours now,” said Anders Lindström, Director of Communications, USA, at Norwegian Air, who noted that though his company was providing low-cost fares, the company is not an ultra-low cost carrier.

Lindström noted the three-year-old airline has one of the most modern fleets in the world, which afford them an advantage in fuel efficiency. At TF Green, the Airline will keep two Boeing 737 Max airliners. “We will be the first to fly them  (the two planes) into America,” Lindström said.

Attending the press conference were a number of State and City officials, including House Majority Leader Joseph Shekarchi (D -Warwick), Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D-Warwick), City Councilmen Tim Howe and Stephen McAllister, Gov. Gina Raimondo, Mayor Scott Avedisian, Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien, Iftikhar Ahmad, RI Airport Corporation president, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, RIAC Chair Jonathan Savage, and Billy Condon, VP of Marketing of Irish Tourism.

“This is all good news for the state of Rhode Island, said Reed. “We’re excited to see Norwegian’s commitment to the Ocean State and we look forward welcoming more visitors from Europe,” he said.

Reed noted the $110 million upgrade and extension of TF Green airport’s runways, scheduled to be complete by the summer, is paying off as the airport is better able to accommodate long-distance flights, which will increase tourism and job growth. “The airport is a catalyst for economic development throughout the state,” he said.

Raimondo noted that 70 of the 150 jobs created by Norwegian Airline’s operation will be Rhode Island jobs. She said she’d asked Norwegian Airlines if they would commit to prioritize hiring Rhode Islanders. “They said ‘Yes,’ Raimondo said.

The Governor said her family would be taking advantage of the low cost fares to visit Ireland this summer, and she expected many others would do the same, creating opportunity for Rhode Island business. “Business in Rhode Island, especially small businesses, have the ability to access the world at a good price point,” she said.

“This is a game-changing day,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian, whom Ahmad described as a strong ally in the work to bring Norwegian Airlines to TF Green, “for TF Green, the city of Warwick and the state of Rhode Island.

Avedisian recalled that ambitions of direct train service to Boston and hotels on Jefferson Boulevard seemed far-reaching years ago. “Finally, all the pieces are starting to come together.”

“What a great opportunity, to be able to travel directly from TF Green to five and soon to be, six locations in Europe, on a regular basis,” Avedisian noted the city’s good fortune in air travel access to Cabo Verde, the Azores, and to Germany on a seasonal basis, but, “This really changes the dynamic here at this airport dramatically, to have regular scheduled service to Europe,” he said.