Norwegian to launch two new routes between London and the US

11. Apr 2017

by BusinessClass

Norwegian Air is to launch two non-stop transatlantic flights from London Gatwick this autumn, the airline has announced.

Starting in mid-September, Norwegian will offer direct flights from London's Gatwick Airport to Denver International and Seattle-Tacoma International airports, bringing the airline’s total number of direct routes between the US and London to nine.

Fierce competition for transatlantic passengers, with low-cost airlines offering unheard-of low fares across the Atlantic, has pushed down ticket prices even among established airlines.

Air France and IAG, which owns British Airways and Iberia, have both announced plans for low-cost flights to the US in order to compete with budget carriers like Norwegian. Lufthansa is also expanding services via its Eurowings subsidiary.

Norwegian's network expansion in the US comes after the airline received long-awaited approval from the American authorities in December for its Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, to operate routes across the Atlantic.

To keep costs to a minimum, many of Norwegian’s new routes are to and from smaller airports that charge lower fees.