Norway has recently seen a new route being opened, with Air Premia touching down at Oslo Gardermoen Int’l Airport (OSL) for the first time, on May 11. The new service offered by the carrier is a seasonal service between South Korean capital Seoul and Oslo.
This marks itself as the first gateway between Norway and Korea since 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wheels down in Norway
Since the route announcement in late March of this year, South Korean low-cost long haul operator Air Premia (YP) have officially set their wheels on Norwegian soil, as the airline on May 11 inaugurated its service between Seoul and Oslo.
Despite being limited to only South Korean tourists in the first term, the route will also act as an important gateway to the Asian market for Norwegian seafood. The new service is to be operated every Thursday from May 11 until August 17.
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, lack of Asian services from Oslo has been evident, with only cargo operators seen serving some Asian regions.
Previously, Korean Air could be seen operating charter services between Seoul and Oslo, as well as Asiana Airlines.
The aircraft used by Air Premia on the first service is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered HL8517. The respective airframe has previously been operated by Norwegian Long Haul under the registration of G-CKOG, and was delivered new by Boeing in 2018.
The aircraft is currently 5.3 years old, according to planespotters.net data.
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Salmon hauler
As mentioned, the new route, although seasonal, will provide yet another gateway for seafood export out of Norway. Being giants in the seafood industry, Norway provides a range of countries with fresh salmon.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines operating to Asia from Oslo would be seen carrying vast amounts of this seafood in the cargo holds.
However, airlines who stopped operations to Asia from Norway – like Thai Airways – left the export capacity somewhat reduced.
On the official announcement of this route coming to, Avinor account manager for traffic development towards Asia and the Americas, Ulv Elbrik, said the following:
“This is very gratifying and long-awaited. Asia has long been a market we hope will return, especially given the tourism potential that lies there, and as a major export opportunity for Norway.”
It is unknown how much seafood each if Air Premia’s flights will carry, however, Ulv Elbrik adds: “These planes will also be filled with Norwegian seafood, which will go to restaurants and shops in Seoul. It is a very important and almost inexhaustible market for Norway”
Overall
Air Premia appears to have spotted a missing piece in a puzzle, and has without doubt covered it – that piece being a return of the greater Asian tourism and export opportunities.
Additionally, despite chartered and seasonal operations, this becomes the first non-stop long-haul Asian service that Oslo has seen since Thai Airways saw the need to pull out their Bangkok services with the Covid-19 pandemic onset.
All in all, Air Premia’s new service is without doubt more than welcome to the Norwegian aviation market, as well as Oslo and Gardermoen Airport – placing one more brick in the puzzle of the Asian market’s full return to Norway.
