Skip to content
It’s a kind of magic as Freddie Mercury announced as Norwegian’s latest British tail fin hero

Press release -

It’s a kind of magic as Freddie Mercury announced as Norwegian’s latest British tail fin hero

British rock legend to grace airline’s aircraft

Norwegian is proud to announce that Freddie Mercury will become its latest British ‘tail fin hero’, with the iconic singer’s portrait set to appear on two Norwegian aircraft later this year. The first Freddie Mercury tail fin will take to the skies this summer, ahead of what would have been his 71st birthday this September.

Since Norwegian’s first aircraft took to the skies, the airline has always honoured iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, using personalities who symbolise the spirit of Norwegian by pushing boundaries, challenging the norm and inspiring others.

To reflect Norwegian’s rapid growth in the UK, where it now flies 5 million UK passengers each year to more than 50 destinations, the airline is planning a series of British tail fin heroes. Freddie Mercury will become Norwegian’s fifth British tail fin hero, following the announcement of footballer Bobby Moore, children’s author Roald Dahl, pioneering pilot Amy Johnson and aviation maverick Sir Freddie Laker.

Freddie Mercury, born in 1946, went on to become a globally renowned singer and songwriter, best-known as thelead vocalistand co-principal songwriter of the rock bandQueen. As a singer that once remarked “I am not going to be a star. I am going to be a legend” Freddie Mercury perfectly captures the essence of Norwegian’s tailfin heroes, with his life and music inspiring generations of fans across the world. Along with being recognised as one of the greatest singers of all time, the public also voted Freddie Mercury into a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.

Norwegian’s Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl said: “As Norwegian continues its rapid expansion in the UK, our ‘tail fin heroes’ offer us a perfect chance to pay tribute to some of the greatest Britons of all time. Freddie Mercury inspired generations of music fans around the globe and it is a huge honour to have one of the greatest singers of all time adorn our aircraft.”

Freddie Mercury’s 71st Birthday Party is being held at Casino Barriere Montreux, Switzerland on Saturday 2nd September 2017. The casino is also the home of the Queen Studio Experience. Proceeds will go to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

The first Freddie Mercury tail fin will take to the skies this summer when it will adorn a Norwegian Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with the second tail fin to appear on a Norwegian 737-800 aircraft later this year.

For more information visit www.norwegian.com, www.queenonline.com, www.freddiemercury.com

- ENDS -

Media contacts:

Topics


Norwegian in the UK:

  • Norwegian carries 5.2 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester Airports to 50 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 800 UK-based pilots and cabin crew
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 9 U.S destinations with fares from just £139 one way
  • Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations
  • The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.6 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for five consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2017, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015, 2016 and 2017

Contacts

Press Office details

Press Office details

Press contact
Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Press contact Marketing/sponsorship requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Related content

Norwegian.com

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2023, the airline had 3.3 million passengers and a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 45 Bombardier Dash 8’s and three Embraer E190-E2's. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.

The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.

Norwegian