Norse received its air operator’s certificate from Norway’s civil aviation authority Luftfartstilsynet in December and took delivery of its first 787-9 aircraft during the same month.

The DOT approval means the carrier is now free to offer routes between any point in Norway, the European Union and the European Common Aviation Area to any destination in the US.

Norse’s initial network strategy is similar to that previously employed by Norwegian Air Shuttle prior to its exit from the transatlantic market. From Oslo, the airline is targeting three leisure destinations with large catchment areas—New York, Los Angeles and South Florida—but opting to fly to lower cost airports.

However, the LCC has managed to avoid the labor union objections that Norwegian faced, vowing to create “hundreds” of jobs for US-based flight attendants, as well as partnering with local communities, tourism organizations and businesses.

Larsen said: “Our people will be our competitive advantage. We are building a high-performance culture and creating an environment where we value diversity, ensuring that all colleagues feel a sense of belonging.”

After launching from Oslo, Norse intends to add transatlantic service from other points in Europe, with London and Paris thought to be targets.