Norwegian Air To End Transatlantic Flights Out Of Stewart

NEW WINDSOR, NY — Norwegian Air will end its transatlantic flights between North America and Ireland as of Sept. 15. The airline issued a press release that said the company reviewed its operations and, with the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, it decided the routes are no longer commercially viable.

That affects New York Stewart International Airport in Orange County as well as T.F. Green in Providence, Rhode Island, and John C. Munro Hamilton In Ontario, Canada.

Matthew Wood, Norwegian's senior vice president long-haul commercial, said the airline takes a strict approach to route management and, since March, has sought to minimize the impact on its customers by leasing replacement aircraft to operate between Ireland and North America.

"However, as the return to service date for the 737 MAX remains uncertain, this solution is unsustainable," he said.

Wood said customers will still be able to get to their destinations by rerouting onto other Norwegian services, but will also be offered a full refund if they no longer wish to travel.

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said that the news more than two years ago that Norwegian would be flying into and out of Stewart was greeted with excitement and the carrier performed well.

"Unfortunately, the safety issues experienced this year with the Boeing 7373 MAX, which had a worldwide impact, played a prominent role in this decision," he said in a prepared statement.

Neuhaus said Norwegian proved that Stewart was a viable option for international flights, and the airport will continue the construction of a new customs facility.

"With attractions in Orange County such as Legoland and Woodbury Common, having an international carrier here is a natural fit," he said.

"I will continue to work with the Port Authority to attract respected carriers to Stewart Airport," Neuhaus said.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat from Cold Spring, said he was concerned what impact the discontinuation of Norwegian's service out of Stewart will have on the local economy.

“The issues surrounding the Boeing 737 Max need to be thoroughly resolved, and we need to get these planes safely back in the air before more damage is done to our local airports and airlines. I’m working with the Transportation Committee to get to the bottom of this,” he said in a prepared statement.

Norwegian Airlines got permission to fly to Ireland out of Stewart in December 2016.

The airline grounded its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in March after two deadly crashes within five months: the Lion Air crash in Oct. 29 that killed 189 people and an Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed in March killing 157 people.

At the time, Norwegian rebooked passengers on 787-9 Dreamliner planes, which have more seats than the 737s.

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