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Norse Atlantic Airways Pulls Boston, Washington Routes

David Casey January 08, 2024

 

Credit: Jorgen Udvang/Alamy Stock Photo

Norse Atlantic Airways will not return to Boston or Washington from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) during the forthcoming northern summer after demand failed to live up to expectations.

The airline had scheduled plans to operate daily flights to both Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, starting on March 31. However, both routes have now been pulled from the carrier’s network.

“The decision to not resume the seasonal Dulles and Boston routes from London at this time was taken following an evaluation of the current demand, which was lower than anticipated,” Norse says in a statement. “We have therefore decided to focus on other routes between the U.S. and Europe next summer.”

Norse first launched summer-season flights to Washington in June 2023, with operations to Boston following in September. Both routes were offered until late October.

The latest schedules provided by OAG Schedules Analyser show that the long-haul carrier competed directly with JetBlue Airways on LGW-BOS, as well as indirectly in the London Heathrow Airport (LHR)-BOS market with American Airlines, British Airways (BA), Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. BA, United and Virgin also serve LHR-IAD.

Following the decision to cancel the return of Boston and Washington service, Norse has scheduled an increase in the number of flights offered to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The year-round route from LGW currently operates daily, but frequencies will rise to 10X-weekly from May 1 and double-daily from May 27.

Additionally, the airline plans to launch transatlantic service from Greece’s capital Athens this summer. Flights to JFK will start on May 30 and be available up to five times per week through Oct. 26. Norse CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen says the move meets “the evolving travel needs of our passengers” and will cater for demand to Greece.

The LCC is also opening a route between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Las Angeles and plans to extend its winter Oslo-Bangkok service into the summer season. However, Norse has dampened speculation that it intends to launch flights from LGW to Las Vegas. The airline has received slots for the route, but said it has “no plans to launch services to Las Vegas at this time.”

The latest network changes come fewer than two months after the company revealed that it has appointed Seabury Securities as a strategic advisor to “explore and guide” the Nordic carrier’s direction after receiving interest from two airlines “seeking to explore industrial opportunities.”

“The aim of this appointment is to strengthen our position in the market and enhance our strategic initiatives to meet the evolving landscape within the aviation industry,” Norse said in a statement.

Speaking to CNN earlier this month, Larsen said he expects the carrier to make money in 2024, adding that any growth would be carefully managed. Norse expects to operate 12 aircraft during summer 2024, up from 10 during the corresponding season in 2023.