Low-cost airline Norwegian first airline to offer live TV on board European flights

• Bloomberg Television and Norway’s TV 2 News broadcast live to passengers in the air

Fornebu, Norway, 2015-11-25 — /Travel PR News/ — Low-cost airline Norwegian today became the first airline to offer live TV on board European flights. Passengers using Norwegian’s free inflight WiFi can now watch Bloomberg Television and Norway’s TV 2 News live on the airline’s fleet of 87 WiFi equipped aircraft. The new service was launched today on a flight from Oslo to Berlin and will be available on flights from the UK to 29 destinations around Europe.

Norwegian passengers departing Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham or Manchester for Europe can watch live TV using their handheld device by connecting to the free WiFi available on board.

Bjørn Kjos, Chief Executive Officer at Norwegian said: “We’re very excited to be the first airline in Europe to offer live television on board. Introducing Bloomberg Television and TV 2 News to our passengers opens the door to more content choices and a better overall inflight experience. By offering free Wi-Fi combined with complementary live television, we are setting the stage for a passenger experience like no other in the sky.”

The launch of live TV was developed by Norwegian’s frequent flyer program, Norwegian Reward, and Norwegian cable television company RiksTV.

CEO of RiksTV, Christian Birkeland said: “We are proud to be involved in such a historic event. To broadcast live TV on mobile devices is a key part of our strategy. We are happy that we have the opportunity to do this on Norwegian’s aircraft.”

Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, will be providing the international news on board.

Adam Freeman, Managing Director, Bloomberg Media, EMEA said: “We are delighted that Bloomberg’s unique and innovative approach to modern business journalism and analysis will now be experienced by today’s global, mobile business news consumers on Norwegian in Europe. Allowing travellers across the continent to follow the very latest market-moving stories live on Bloomberg Television while in the air will enable them to reach their destinations fully informed and primed or their day.”

News in Norwegian will be provided by TV 2 News, Norway’s only news channel.

TV 2 news and sports editor Jan Ove Årsæther said: “Viewers expect to be able to watch live news at all times. It is therefore gratifying that we, together with our very forward-thinking partners, can offer live news on Norwegian’s European flights. People will never have to miss out on breaking news, even in the air. TV 2 News is literally on air all the time.”

Live TV on board is provided by Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), a worldwide provider of aircraft connectivity systems, operations solutions and media content to the travel industry.

Aditya Chatterjee, CTO and SVP of Connectivity Systems at GEE said: “This important collaboration between Global Eagle Entertainment and Norwegian marks an important component of next generation inflight connectivity offerings that Global Eagle is poised to deliver worldwide.”

Norwegian is the first airline in the UK and Europe to offer inflight WiFi on its brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Norwegian flies one of the youngest fleet of aircraft in the world averaging an age of four years.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Norwegian UK press office: pressuk@norwegian.com / +44 203 8244 890

Norwegian in the UK

• Norwegian first launched UK flights in 2003 and now operates from London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester Airports to 34 destinations worldwide.
• Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 3.9 million yearly passengers as of November 2015, and with 130 pilots and 300 cabin crew working from its Gatwick base
• In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. flying directly from Gatwick to New York, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles
• Norwegian is the only airline to offer free in-flight WiFi on UK flights to 29 European destinations

SOURCE: Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA

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