Long-haul airline Norse Atlantic Airways opened an office in Rīga on August 21st, which will serve as the airline's operational management center, according to founder, CEO and major shareholder Bjørn Tore Larsen, who was in Rīga for an opening ceremony attended by Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
Headquartered in Arendal, Norway, Norse Atlantic was launched in March 2021 as an airline specializing in low-cost, long-haul, direct flights, and is a publicly traded company listed on the Euronext Expand Exchange in Oslo, Norway.
Norse Atlantic Airways AS holds two Air Operator’s Certificates (AOCs), one in Norway and one in the UK.
The airline will provide aircraft operations monitoring and management, crew planning, as well as customer service from its Rīga office.
"Essentially, the Rīga office will be the headquarters for Norse's operations, operating 24/7," said Larsen. Currently, the office, located in the Novira Plaza center, employs 80 employees.
As the airline's head pointed out, the Rīga office is currently responsible for flight planning, crew member schedules, and online communication with pilots, dispatchers, and other service teams to manage changes and ensure the safe and efficient operation of the airline.
In addition, the Rīga team provides functions such as finance, information technology, procurement, aviation safety management and compliance, customer service, and human resources management, the company said.
When asked when Norse might start direct flights from Latvia to the US, Larsen said that the airline is working on it.
"We are doing preparations and research to understand whether this route is viable. It's a good idea, but there's always the right time, so we're working on plans, but we can't give an exact time," Larsen said.
Ieva Jāgere, Director of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA), said that the opening of the Norse office is a positive event for Latvia, especially from an investment perspective, as it is an international company that not only makes investments in Latvia, but also brings highly qualified specialists who enter the Latvian labour market.
The Riga office will join the airline's existing offices in Norway, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.
The Norse Atlantic fleet includes 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.