Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)) has announced plans to launch twice to three times weekly B737-800 flights from Cologne/Bonn Konrad Adenauer (CGN), Munich Franz Josef Strauss International (MUC) and Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel (HAM) to Las Palmas Gran Canaria International (LPA), Tenerife Sur (TFS), Alicante (ALC) and Malaga Pablo Ruiz Picasso (AGP) all effective from October 28. It will serve all four Spanish bases from the three airports with the exception of Las Palmas which will only be served from Cologne/Bonn and Hamburg. Norwegian has aircraft based at the four Spanish airports with local crews operating the flights that so far have only operated to Scandinavia and London Gatwick (LGW).

LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin (WAW)) has taken one step closer towards complete privatization after the Polish parliament, on Friday, May 10, approved an amendment to an existing law which stipulates that Government must own no less than 51% in the national carrier. LOT's current overseer, the State Treasury of Poland, has welcomed the move seen as sweetening the prospect of a total acquisition of the ailing airline, which has so far caught the eyes of Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) and Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)) most recently.

Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)) has confirmed that its CEO, Bjørn Kjos, has attended a meeting with Polish government authorities in Warsaw regarding LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin (WAW)). While no official agenda has been released, Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reports that the meeting involved Norwegian’s possible takeover of the country’s loss-making national airline. In the report, it is alleged that Kjos asked for "detailed information on LOT before he and his colleagues could formulate a bid." Analysts have speculated that LOT would be a perfect fit for the financially-strong Scandinavian airline, given its membership of Star Alliance as well as its planned fleet of eight B787-8s, two of which have already been ordered. The Dreamliners are of particular interest to Norwegian who see them as integral in their plans to expand their intercontinental network. Warsaw is working to facilitate the deal through a change in legislation that would allow the state to own less than 51% of LOT and eventually sell off the state’s holdings completely. The proposal is now under consideration in the Polish parliament. The Polish government has tried before to privatize LOT, with Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) a one time suitor.

Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)) says it is mulling registering its future fleet of eight B787-8s in Ireland as a means of circumventing restrictive Norwegian laws that bar the carrier from hiring cheaper Asian cabin crews. The carrier is planning to launch Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK) and New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK) flights this summer and says that the move would enable it to cut back on costs which had been blocked by Norwegian authorities. Despite union objections that the airline is practising "social dumping", Norwegian is adamant that its fleet of Dreamliners, the first of which is due in June, could be registered in Ireland, but that no final decision has been made. It should be noted, however, that Norwegian operators can only operate aircraft registered in another country on a temporary basis, and unless regulations are changed Norwegian would eventually have to register its entire long-haul subsidiary in Ireland.

Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa (HEL)) has sold its 4.69% stake Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)) for approximately EUR 53million, making a capital gain of EUR 34million on the deal in the second quarter. The proceeds will be used for the acquisition of new long-haul aircraft needed in the development of the Finnish carrier's profitable routes to Asia. Shares in the Norwegian carrier were transferred to Finnair via a 2007 share swap as part of Finnair's sale of its then Swedish subsidiary, flynordic (LF, Stockholm Arlanda (ARN)), to Norwegian.