Why One European Airline Has a Surplus of Applicants During a Pilot Shortage

Norse Atlantic Airways CEO says timing and equipment has been the key to early success.

Michael Wildes

Thursday, June 02, 2022 at 08:04 AM ET

Verified

Norse Atlantic Airway has nine Boeing 787 aircraft with more to come. [Courtesy: Norse Atlantic Airways]

Key Takeaways:

A new European transatlantic airline, Norse Atlantic Airways, received over 3,000 pilot applications for just 50 positions, indicating a regional surplus of pilots for new entrants.
In stark contrast, U.S. airlines are struggling with a severe pilot shortage, high attrition rates, and training bottlenecks, compelling them to relax hiring requirements and invest heavily in expanding training capacity.
Norse Atlantic successfully launched by leveraging the pandemic downturn to acquire aircraft and airport slots at a discount, positioning itself to capitalize on renewed transatlantic travel demand.

See a mistake? Contact us.

While U.S. airlines can’t seem to hire pilots fast enough, a new European low-cost transatlantic airline said more than 3,000 pilots applied for the 50 available positions it recently posted.

Bjorn Tore Larsen, founder, and CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways, whose airline will begin long-haul service between Europe and North America this month, recently shared his company’s “problem” with the BBC.