Norse Atlantic is marking its transatlantic territory.
The Norwegian long-haul start-up plans to expand its U.S. to U.K. route network with the addition of 6 airports.
The U.K. branch of the airline, whose operations are based at London Gatwick (LGW), is hoping to pick up on the high demand for travel that the airline is predicting.
“Norse Atlantic U.K. estimates some 592,556 customers will travel to the U.S. from its London Gatwick base annually, contributing approximately $1.2 billion to the U.S. economy in total spend,” said a spokesperson for the airline.
Read on to find out about Norse’s exciting U.S. expansion plans.
Norse Atlantic Wants To Launch 6 New Routes to the U.S.
Norse’s application for the 6 new routes has officially been received by the U.S. Department of Transport (DoT).
The start-up’s plan is to launch nonstop service from Baltimore (BWI), Chicago-Rockford (RFD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Ontario, California (ONT), Orlando (MCO), and San Francisco (SFO) to London Gatwick (LGW) in addition to the route it will start between Gatwick and New York (JFK) on August 12, 2022.
Norse will have had an easier job getting slots at regional airports like Ontario (ONT) and Chicago-Rockford (RFD) over slot-constrained primary airports Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (ORD). Landing fees and other ground-related costs at regional airports are generally lower, making these airports even more appealing to low-cost carriers like Norse.
It’s expected that these 6 destinations will be just the start of the airline’s expansion into the U.S. as it has big plans to ride the tail-wind of the travel resurgence.
The U.S. Is Norse Atlantic’s Highest Priority
Norse Atlantic wants to shake up the transatlantic market by bringing low-cost fares to customers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Bottom Line: The first route that Norse Atlantic ever flew was to the U.S. when it inaugurated its first-ever transatlantic flight from its base in Oslo (OSL) to New York (JFK) on June 14, 2022.
Other cities confirmed to welcome Norse Atlantic soon will be Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Los Angeles (LAX), and Orlando (MCO).
Norse Atlantic’s current transatlantic route map with “more routes coming soon.” Image Credit: Norse AtlanticAll flights will be operated by one of the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 2 cabin classes.
Up front, there’ll be 56 recliner seats in Premium Economy in a 2-3-2 configuration. As for economy, the cabin’s 282 seats are in a 3-3-3 configuration — the standard layout for almost all Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Final Thoughts
Norse Atlantic is making its mark on the U.S.
London is likely to be the European city that airline connects with more and more U.S. cities over time.
We’ll keep our eye out and be sure to update this piece once we find out whether the application was accepted.
Featured Image Credit:
Norse Atlantic
