Norwegian airline, British pilot association sign labour agreement

OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian airline start-up Norse Atlantic Airways has signed a collective agreement with the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), the two said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Norse listed on Oslo's stock market this year and seeks to fill the void left by Norwegian Air's exit from transatlantic routes using 15 leased Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with BALPA to offer pilots the opportunity to return to the cockpit and create hundreds of new jobs in the UK, especially following a tough time for the entire aviation industry," Bjorn Tore Larsen, chief executive of Norse Atlantic Airways, said.

BALPA said the agreement was a much needed "glimmer of hope" for the struggling UK aviation industry.

"We are pleased to welcome Norse Atlantic Airways to London and the new jobs they will deliver at this critical time," it added.

Norse Atlantic Airways initially plans to fly between U.S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami to European destinations including London, Paris and Oslo.

(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by Bernadette Baum)