Norwegian Air breathes life into secondhand A380 superjumbo on London-NYC route

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA will fly the first used Airbus SE A380 between London and New York this month as the discount carrier seeks to replace capacity it lost when some of its Boeing 787 planes were grounded for engine issues.

The leasing deal for the 12-year-old superjumbo comes after Thomas Cook flew the used jet on two routes this week as a stop-gap solution. The plane, which spent a decade in service at Singapore Airlines and comes with top-notch luxury seating, is the first A380 to be flown on the secondary market.

Norwegian will operate the four-engined aircraft, the world's biggest passenger plane, for "several weeks" in August, a spokesman for the airline confirmed to Bloomberg by email.

Norwegian has shaken up the long-haul aviation industry by expanding rapidly with aggressive pricing on routes across the Atlantic. The airline, run by former fighter pilot Bjorn Kjos, is using the latest fuel-efficient technology to keep its costs down, but has struggled to build capacity as some of its Boeing Dreamliners were sidelined for unexpected engine maintenance.

Rolls-Royce Engines

Airlines around the world have been forced to ground some Rolls-Royce-powered Dreamliners as safety regulators require increased maintenance check-ups and repairs.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this solution to our customers to ensure that their journeys remain unaffected," the spokesman said.

The 500-seater doubledecker A380, registration 9H-MIP, has found a new life at Portugal's Hi Fly, which is leasing the aircraft to carriers like Norwegian as short-term capacity solutions. For its life with Singapore Airlines before it entered the secondary market, the A380 was kitted out with first- and business-class seats -- a far cry from low-cost Norwegian's traditional offering.

BLOOMBERG

See also: A380 set for scrapyard gets a new lease of life

See also: The reason why Boeing plane models always start with a 7