Norse Atlantic expects accounting gain as it hands back 787-8 fleet

Long-haul operator Norse Atlantic Airways has handed back all its three Boeing 787-8s to their lessors, to focus on its 787-9 fleet. The aircraft had originally been delivered to the Scandinavian carrier in 2022 and were dry-leased to Spanish operator Air Europa. Norse Atlantic adopted a revised business plan last year which involves simplifying its fleet structure to concentrate exclusively on its 12 787-9s. It states that it has completed the withdrawal of the 787-8s. All three – with serial numbers 35310, 35313 and 35314 – have Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. “Following the transaction, Norse Atlantic has a uniform, flexible and cost-efficient fleet,” it states, adding that the 787-8s had around four years’ lease length remaining. The carrier says it will record a “significant” accounting gain for the first quarter of this year, as a result of the transaction. Its 787-9s have remaining leases of seven to 14 years. The carrier’s new business strategy involves leasing out a number of these aircraft to balance seasonal traffic cycles.<br/>