Press release -

Norwegian announces new direct flights to Miami and San Francisco as part of new summer 2019 long-haul programme

  • Airline to serve Miami and San Francisco to reflect customer demand and cargo opportunities
  • More flights added to popular long-haul routes next summer

Norwegian today announces new strategic updates to its summer 2019 UK route network that will benefit consumers seeking affordable long-haul travel at www.norwegian.com/uk

From 31 March, Norwegian will serve Miami International Airport (MIA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from London Gatwick, replacing its existing flights to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Oakland (OAK) airports, from £174.90 one way.

The airline will operate daily flights to Miami, up from four-weekly services to Fort Lauderdale last summer and five-weekly services to San Francisco. The change in airport destination reflects customer demand and the increased cargo capabilities these airports offer Norwegian Cargo.

Voted Skytrax 2018 World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline and Europe’s Best Low-Cost Airline, Norwegian will have 32 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet by the end of 2018 which are operated on its long-haul routes. Norwegian serves more destinations in the USA nonstop from Gatwick Airport than any other airline.

Norwegian’s summer 2019 network will feature 13 long-haul routes including a brand-new route between the UK and Brazil.

From 31 March 2019, Europe’s third largest low-cost airline will commence a new four-weekly service to Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport (GIG) from London Gatwick Airport.Flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with fares from £239 one way*.

Norwegian will continue operating its increased services from London Gatwick to New York JFK with three-daily flights and a daily service to Buenos Aires in summer 2019. The airline’s newly launched twice-weekly Tampa route will also feature alongside nonstop flights to Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando and Seattle.

Matthew Wood, SVP Commercial at Norwegian said: “We are delighted to meet the strong demand for our transatlantic flights by announcing that Miami and San Francisco will join Rio de Janeiro as part of our summer 2019 flight schedule.

“By also increasing frequency on popular routes next summer, we will provide customers with more choice, smoother connections and exceptional value at affordable fares across Europe, the USA and South America.”

Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations; Gatwick Airport, said: “These new Miami and San Francisco routes will fly passengers straight into the heart of two of America’s most iconic city destinations. In all, Norwegian will fly to 11 US destinations from Gatwick next summer, which gives passengers both tremendous choice and exceptional value as the airline offers some of the most competitive long-haul airfares around.”

Small frequency reductions will apply to two routes that will free up Boeing 787 Dreamliner capacity, in light of industry-wide mandatory inspections of a specific Rolls Royce engine type. The Los Angeles route will reduce to a daily service and the Chicago route will reduce to four flights per week.

Norwegian was ranked the most fuel-efficient airline on transatlantic routes by The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The airline carries more than 5.8 million UK passengers each year to over 50 global destinations. Norwegian has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.7 years.

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Notes to editors

  • *Based on lowest available one-way fare per person, incl. taxes and charges, subject to availability

Topics

Norwegian in the UK and Ireland:

  • Norwegian carries 5.8 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 50 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 1,000 UK-based pilots and cabin crew
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 11 U.S destinations, Buenos Aires and Singapore
  • In 2017, Norwegian also launched affordable transatlantic flights from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon to the US East Coast, using the brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
  • Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations
  • The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.7 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for six consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2018, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
  • Norwegian Reward is the airline's free to join award-winning loyalty programme offering members CashPoints and Rewards that reduce the cost of Norwegian flights

Contacts

For journalists only

For journalists only

Press contact Norwegian Press Office +47 815 11 816
Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Press contact Marketing/sponsorship requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Norwegian.com

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2023, the airline had 3.3 million passengers and a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 45 Bombardier Dash 8’s and three Embraer E190-E2's. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.

The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.

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