The one-year-old long haul low-cost Carrier, Norse Atlantic, has announced a route expansion for the winter 2023/2024 season network, which will include the company’s first scheduled service to Thailand and Asia.
The so-called “winter sun routes” will provide both the UK market and Norway with new routes. However, the UK market seems to get the lion’s share of the deal with the greater expansion falling in their favour.
From the UK, Norse Atlantic will commence services to Bermuda and Jamaica, bringing the company’s total services from London and the Gatwick Airport (LGW) to nine, as the carrier already serves a range of destinations from the London Gatwick base.
Barbados and Jamaica-bound
Starting this fall and winter season, Norse Atlantic Airways (N0) will serve Barbados, Kingston and Montego Bay non-stop from their base at London Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK).
The routes went on sale through Norse Atlantic’s website upon the announcement this week, and the company will operate the flights with their fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
The routes will all launch at separate times with just either days or hours apart, with the earliest inaugurals taking place on October 29, bound for Barbados’ Bridgetown Grantley Adams Int’l Airport (BGI), and Jamaica’s Montego Bay Sangster Int’l Airport (MBJ).
The services to Kingston, Jamaica will follow two days after, with the flights launching on October 31to the Kingston Norman Manley Int’l Airport (KIN)
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On these three new services, CEO of Norse Atlantic, Bjørn Tore Larsen, said the following: “We are very pleased to announce the launch of these new winter sun routes from London Gatwick.”
“More travellers will now be able to experience these amazing destinations thanks to our low fares and those wishing to reunite with friends and family will have greater choice during this traditionally high demand period of travel.”
“This winter Norse Atlantic will proudly become the second largest long haul carrier at London Gatwick by seat capacity and we are looking forward to welcoming on board both returning and new customers,”
Also commenting was VP Aviation Development, London Gatwick, Stephanie Wear, who said: “We are really excited to see Norse expanding its range of destinations this winter.”
“Having more opportunities for passengers to enjoy some winter sun in Barbados and Jamaica, at fantastic value, is great news for people across London and the South East.”
Saturated demand to Asia
With the expansion out of London Gatwick, Norse Atlantic also announced a new route from their main hub of Oslo with a new seasonal winter service to Bangkok, Thailand.
A direct gateway to Thailand has been missing from Norway ever since Thai Airways (TG) pulled out of the market a few years back because of Covid-19.
Despite making their return to the Scandinavian cities of Stockholm and Copenhagen, the carrier is yet to return to Oslo and Norway, leaving the demand for direct services to Thailand in the Norwegian market high.
With this, Norse Atlantic appears to have responded to the increasing demand and thus announced the twice-weekly non-stop service between the two cities for the winter program, starting November 2 of this year.
The service has been announced as being seasonal for the time being, but could it become permanent?
As mentioned, Thai Airways is yet to return to Oslo with their daily non-stop services, thus leaving the demand for direct services to Thailand high.
Norse Atlantic is certainly meeting demand to a certain extent with the seasonal services, but with Thai Airways showing no signs per now of returning soon on a daily, year-round schedule, speculations as to if this could become a permanent route appear reasonable. However, that of course remains to be seen.
