Norwegian Air CEO says airline wants to stay independent

(Adds detail about leasing, Dreamliners, hedging)

By Tim Hepher

PARIS, April 9 (Reuters) - Budget airline Norwegian Air has been approached by several rival airlines about possible partnerships but is keen to follow an independent strategy, Chief Executive Bjoern Kjos said on Thursday.

Norwegian has expanded rapidly in recent years to become Europe's third-biggest low cost carrier after Ryanair and easyJet but falling margins and a net loss last year raised doubts about its strategy.

"We have been approached by most of the airlines in Europe that want to work together with Norwegian," Kjos told Reuters. "We have been asked about all sorts of arrangements".

Kjos declined to comment on reports that Norwegian had held talks with Ryanair during a recent pilot strike, but when asked if he held concrete talks with other airlines, he said: "No, we prefer to stay alone and go on with our own business model."

Flying with just under 100 aircraft, Norwegian has over 200 jets on order and plans to lease out many of them through a new Dublin-based subsidiary, a unique step for a budget carrier.

Although it is not scheduled to receive its first Airbus A320neo jets until next year, Kjos said the first leasing agreement may be just weeks away.

"We assume that in the next few months we will start leasing out the first (A320neo) aircraft," Kjos said on the sidelines of an Economist aerospace conference in Paris.

"We are in final discussions with lessees so it will be highly likely before the summer."

He added that the firm's long haul business, beset by aircraft breakdowns at the start, was doing well, with its Boeing (NYSE: BA - news) 787 Dreamliners offering the same rate of reliability as its 737 narrow body aircraft.

In a first for Europe's budget airlines, Norwegian flies long-haul routes from Britain and the Nordics to North America and Asia, and plans new routes to South America and South Africa.

Falling jet fuel price could help Norwegian this year but Kjos said he was not keen on hedging fuel after the firm suffered big hedging losses last year after oil prices fell.

"We have hedged very little fuel and only at a low price," Kjos said. "You might see (crude) prices up to $70 but I think they will swing between $50 and $70 in the future, so what is the benefit of hedging?" (Writing by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Mark Potter)