Tag: Gatwick

Norse Atlantic Airways commences new flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco

Norse Atlantic Airways, the low-cost long-haul airline, has announced the launch of its inaugural flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to London on June 30 and July 1, respectively.

‘Los Angeles and San Francisco are now the fifth and sixth destinations connecting the US to London. With the addition of these two destinations Norse Atlantic is now the largest long-haul operator from the US to London Gatwick. We are proud to offer an affordable and convenient way for our customers to explore London,’ said Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO Norse Atlantic Airways.

The flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) will operate daily, departing at 4:25 p.m. PDT and arriving the next day at 11:00 a.m. local time. Return flights from London Gatwick depart at 10:35 a.m. local time, reaching Los Angeles at 2:10 p.m. PDT on the same day. Economy fares start from $209 one-way, inclusive of all taxes and fees.

For the San Francisco to London route, flights operate three times a week, departing from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at 3:25 p.m. PDT and arriving at London Gatwick at 9:50 a.m. local time the following day. Return flights from London Gatwick depart at 10:10 a.m. local time and reach San Francisco at 1:25 p.m. PDT on the same day. Economy fares start from $229 one-way, including all taxes and fees.

Norse Atlantic Airways exclusively operates modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring entertainment systems for every seat, and two cabin options: Economy and Norse Premium. The airline also offers a range of fare options, including Light, Classic, and Flextra, allowing passengers to tailor their travel.

With the addition of Los Angeles and San Francisco, Norse Atlantic Airways now operates flights from six US destinations to its London base, making it the largest long-haul operator between London Gatwick and the United States.

Air China returns to London Gatwick Airport with services to Beijing

Air China has resumed operations at London Gatwick Airport with services to Beijing.

The Chinese flag-carrier operates four flights per week to Beijing Capital International Airport that started April 1, and will increase to daily services from April 24. It will be the first since early 2020 that flights have run between Gatwick and China, and will support increasing demand for travel between the two countries.

China sent a record 151,690 students to the United Kingdom in 2021/22 – more than any other country, according to data from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This is an increase of 41 percent since 2017-18 and accounts for 22.3 percent of international students in the UK. The flights should also provide an economic boost for the tourism industry in London and the Southeast, with Chinese visitors spending £1,828 per visit and £1.8 billion in 2019, according to Visit Britain. They will also further open up the cultural adventure opportunity to visit China and explore its diverse beauty.

Stephanie Wear, VP Aviation Development, Gatwick Airport said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Air China back to London Gatwick, providing a vital connection between two of the world’s most influential capital cities.

‘China is the world’s second-largest economy, so by offering direct flights between London and Beijing, Gatwick is providing an important service to people and businesses across the Southeast

‘It is also great news for tourism and hospitality across the region. Chinese visitors are traditionally high spenders so the return of regular flights will help support these sectors, which suffered so badly throughout the pandemic.’

Jingjie Li, General Manager, Air China London said: ‘We are delighted to resume our direct service from London Gatwick to Beijing. We are well prepared to serve passengers travelling between the UK and China, and via our hub at Beijing Capital Airport to beyond.’

The return of Air China means Gatwick will offer passengers a choice of nearly 50 long-haul destinations this summer, and as an Air China hub, Beijing Capital International Airport also provides onward connections throughout China and more widely across Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Gatwick Airport announces four new Norse Atlantic long-haul routes to USA

London Gatwick has announced four new transatlantic routes from Norse Atlantic this summer – alongside two announced last week.

London Gatwick passengers will be able to fly to seven destinations with Norse starting September. Alongside its existing New York route, the airline is adding services to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC and Boston – as well as Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, announced last week.

Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome six new Norse Atlantic routes this summer, giving passengers a fantastic choice of US destinations at excellent value, whether for holidays, business or visiting family and friends.

‘The new services mean Gatwick and Norse will provide an increasingly competitive offering, which is great news for passengers across London and the South East, as well as businesses in the region.’

With the new flights, passengers will benefit from stateside destinations on Norse’s network, including:

* Daily flights to New York, currently operating

* Four flights a week to Orlando, from May 25 (increasing to daily in peak summer)

* Three flights a week to Fort Lauderdale, from May 26

* Six flights a week to Washington DC, from June 1

* Daily flights to Los Angeles, from June 30

* Three flights a week to San Francisco, from July 1

* Five flights a week to Boston, from September 2

Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO, Norse Atlantic Airways said: ‘This marks an important moment for consumers as we celebrate serving more destinations to the US from London Gatwick this summer than any other airline. The addition of direct flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington and Boston to our already popular New York, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale/Miami services will provide greater choice and value for consumers.

‘We have made a significant investment in our UK airline, based at London Gatwick Airport, and now employ over 370 colleagues at our London base. I am very pleased that we are fulfilling our pledge to allow more people to travel further and stimulate demand while creating competition in the transatlantic market that will ultimately benefit consumers and lead to job creation on both sides of the Atlantic.’

Tickets to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, both in Florida, went on sale earlier this month, while the four additional new routes are on sale now via the Norse Atlantic website. With the expansion, Gatwick will offer passengers 90 flights per week to 10 destinations across both east and west coasts of the USA this summer.

London Gatwick Airport announces double daily service to Frankfurt with Lufthansa

London Gatwick Airport has announced a new service from April 2023, as Lufthansa launches a double daily service to Frankfurt, Germany.

From 23 April 2023, the German airline will operate twice daily between the UK’s capital and Germany’s financial capital Frankfurt. Home of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt is one of the largest global hubs of passenger and cargo traffic. It is currently the fifth busiest European airport and seventh busiest in the world for international passengers.

The new route will offer important onward connectivity for passengers, including to other key financial hubs such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai, among many other destinations across North and South America, Africa and Asia.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Lufthansa back to Gatwick Airport next year, providing passengers across London and the south-east with a vital connection to Frankfurt.

‘The city is not only a hugely important financial hub, but offers excellent onward connectivity and opportunities. It’s also a great place for tourists too, with fantastic museums and architecture.’

Heinrich Lange, Senior Director Sales Northern Europe, Lufthansa Group Airlines said: ‘Lufthansa is happy to operate to London Gatwick next summer to connect this major airport with our hub in Frankfurt. We come closer to our customers in the south of London and will ease the access to our global network. We are glad to have Gatwick as our third London airport served in our timetable.’

Frankfurt is first of the several new routes expected to be announced by London Gatwick for the new year, the airport said.

Emirates expands operations to Dubai from Gatwick

Emirates has announced an expansion of its operations to Dubai from Gatwick Airport with the addition of a third daily A380 flight.

The expansion will add over an additional 1,000 seats to/from Gatwick to Dubai, every day.

The new Emirates flight EK11 will depart Dubai at 2:50hrs, flight EK15 will depart at 7:40hrs and flight EK09 will depart at 14:25hrs – offering customers more flexibility and travel choices.

Emirates currently serves the UK with 119 weekly flights across seven UK hubs including: six times daily to London Heathrow; three times daily to London Gatwick; daily service to London Stansted; three times daily to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham; daily flights to Newcastle; and a daily service to Glasgow. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com

Operating to over 130 destinations, across six continents, Emirates is one of the world’s largest airlines. Emirates’ home and hub, Dubai, remains a popular holiday and stopover destination. Travellers from the UK can benefit from the new Dubai Experience platform that enables customers to browse, create and book customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE.

London Gatwick to serve 90% of pre-pandemic destinations this half-term

London Gatwick Airport – part of VINCI Airports’ network – has said that during this October half-term the Airport will serve almost 90% of the destinations it served during the same period in 2019.

London Gatwick will serve 172 destinations during the forthcoming holiday period, compared to 197 (87%) in the same period in 2019. Top destinations for holidaymakers looking for a short break or some autumn sun this half-term include Dublin, Barcelona and Malaga, while Dubai, New York and Orlando top the long-haul charts.

London Gatwick’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jonathan Pollard, said: ‘We are really excited to see the number of destinations we fly to almost returning to pre-Covid levels for the October half-term.

‘The summer was incredibly busy, and we took steps to provide more certainty for passengers, including recruiting more than 400 new security staff, so we are well resourced for half-term and beyond. It’s great to see our departure lounges busy again with people eager to jet off and enjoy our fantastic range of destinations, across Europe and further afield.’

At the end of half-term, Gatwick will welcome new airline Bamboo Airways, with a new route to Hanoi, Vietnam. JetBlue is also adding a second daily service to New York – which adds to over 50 weekly flights to the US currently on offer from Gatwick.

Passengers will also be able to shop at Gatwick’s retail outlets, which include the new Lego stores in each terminal, which opened in July, alongside other brands such as Ted Baker, Hugo Boss, Superdry, Harrods, Hamleys and World Duty Free, the Airport said.

Gatwick Airport announces new Hanoi route, operated by Bamboo Airways

Gatwick Airport has announced the addition of a new Hanoi route this autumn, operated by Bamboo Airways allowing passengers across London and the South-East to fly to the Vietnamese capital city.

From Hanoi, passengers will also be able to connect onwards with Bamboo Airways to destinations across Vietnam, as well as Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Taipei.

Bamboo is one of several new airlines introduced to Gatwick in recent months. Passengers travelling on Bamboo’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will have three classes of travel to choose from, including premium economy and business class flatbeds.

The service will initially fly once per week from 29 October, and Gatwick passengers will now be able to book direct flights to six destinations across Asia, including Dubai (Emirates), Bangkok and Singapore (Scoot), Doha (Qatar Airways and British Airways) and Islamabad (British Airways).

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport said: ‘The arrival of Bamboo Airways at Gatwick provides a very welcome addition to our operation.

‘In the past 10 months, we have been able to significantly grow our connections across North America, so to also be able to continue to expand our routes across Asia is fantastic news for both leisure travellers and business passengers throughout London and the South-East.

‘Vietnam is a wonderful country, offering a wealth of beautiful sights including stunning beaches, national parks, temples and vibrant streets and night markets, so we are delighted Gatwick passengers can now connect to its capital city and beyond so easily, via Bamboo’s excellent network.’

Hoang Ngoc Thach, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, Bamboo Airways said: ‘The nonstop Hanoi – Gatwick route is Bamboo Airways’ next effort in serving UK market in particular and Europe in general. We hope the sense of hospitality and international 5-star oriented services bearing Vietnam footprint of Bamboo Airways will win European passengers’ hearts as well as Vietnamese diaspora in the UK.’

The new service to Hanoi means passengers can now travel to 40 long-haul destinations from Gatwick, across the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa.

Gatwick announces summer schedule with 50 flights a week to six destinations across Canada

Gatwick Airport has announced its summer schedule with 50 flights per week to six destinations across Canada this summer, as new and returning routes to Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver and Halifax join existing services to Toronto and Calgary.

According to the release, Air Transat will operate three weekly flights to Montreal (increasing to daily flights from June), alongside a once-a-week service to Quebec City – the first time the UK has benefitted from a direct scheduled service to the city. The airline has also increased its flights to Toronto to a daily service (two flights a day from late June), complementing the daily WestJet operation, itself increasing to nine flights per week from mid-June between Gatwick and Canada’s most populous city.

WestJet will also be operating six flights a week weekly to west-coast Vancouver (one flight a day from mid-June), and four flights a week to Halifax (increasing to daily flights from mid-July), the provincial capital of Nova Scotia. This is in addition to the three times weekly service that it offers to Calgary (increasing to five per week from mid-June), known as a gateway to the Canadian Rockies.

Stephanie Wear, VP of Aviation Development, Gatwick Airport said: ‘With so many people in the UK having close connections with Canada, we are delighted to be able to offer Gatwick passengers such easy and widespread access to fantastic destinations across the country.

‘From the spectacular landscapes of the Rockies and Nova Scotia, to vibrant cities with an array of wonderful sights, it’s really exciting to have so many more opportunities to visit Canada from Gatwick. It’s also great news for those wishing to see family and friends, or conduct business across the Atlantic.’

Marsha Walden, President & CEO, Destination Canada, said: ‘Destination Canada is delighted to see the launch of so many routes to Canada from London Gatwick, including the first-ever direct connection to Quebec City with Air Transat.

‘Re-establishing air routes into Canada is critical to rebuilding our industry and driving revenue back into tourism businesses across our vast country. These flights mean Canada’s iconic experiences are even more accessible to British holidaymakers looking to take in our wide open spaces, nature, wildlife, adventure and return feeling fully rejuvenated. What is particularly encouraging is that demand for the summer months is looking strong and our industry is ready to welcome guests back with open hearts.’

Wizz Air announces launch of 18 new routes ahead of summer season at Gatwick Airport

Wizz Air has announced the launch of 18 new routes from its base at Gatwick Airport.

The announcement comes as all COVID-19 travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, have been terminated and is well timed for the Easter holidays. Tickets are now available on wizzair.com and on the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from £8.99.

The launch coincides with the reopening of Gatwick’s South Terminal. With a mix of year-round and seasonal routes to Bari, Bourgas, Faro, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome, Palma de Mallorca, Larnaca, Varna, Venice, Vienna, Catania, Podgorica, Tel Aviv, Chania, Mykonos and Funchal, the expansion will see Wizz Air operate a total of 25 routes from Gatwick Airport.

Marion Geoffroy, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK, said: ‘Today’s route launches signify the start of an exciting new chapter for Wizz Air UK at Gatwick Airport as we embark on the summer travel season. Through this significant expansion we are reaffirming our commitment to providing low-fare connectivity to our customers in London and the South of England – and we want them to know that WIZZ is here to stay.

‘The lifting of all Covid-19 travel restrictions is an extremely positive development for the travel industry and passengers alike, with customers once again being able to travel hassle-free to their favourite destinations. We look forward to welcoming customers old and new onboard our young, efficient and green aircraft to enjoy the excellent service WIZZ is known for, as they head off on their well-deserved trips abroad.’

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport said: ‘We are delighted that Wizz is adding 18 new routes to its Gatwick offer, meaning passengers can now fly from Gatwick with Wizz to a total of 25 popular European destinations. Wizz’s expansion and commitment to Gatwick marks the start of an exciting time for the airport as well as the airline, coinciding with the reopening of Gatwick’s South Terminal.

‘Wizz’s growing range of destinations is excellent news for passengers across London and the South East, providing more choice and competition to in-demand destinations. Importantly, it’s also fantastic news for the local economy, with more than 200 jobs created as a direct result of the new services.’

Wizz Air passengers can now book tickets with the airline’s travel insurance package which includes Covid-19 cover and WIZZ Flex. With WIZZ Flex, passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and receive 100 percent of the fare reimbursed in airline credit.

Qatar Airways to resume flights to London Gatwick

Qatar Airways has recently announced that it will resume flights to London Gatwick Airport from June 5, 2022.

The airline will operate a daily service from Gatwick to Doha using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class. An environmentally advanced aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner consumes 20 per cent less fuel and its carbon dioxide emissions are 20 per cent lower than other similar aircraft.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: ‘Our commitment to the UK market has been unwavering and we operated continuously and reliably throughout the pandemic, so I am pleased we can resume our popular service to London Gatwick. We offer excellent connectivity to and from the UK, providing travellers with more choice and convenience.

‘This year is very special for us, not least as it is the 25th anniversary of the start of our flights to London Heathrow in March 1997.’

With the addition of daily flights to London Gatwick, passengers can now enjoy connectivity to almost 150 destinations across the airline’s extensive global network via Hamad International Airport, connecting with popular destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia.

The resumption of the London Gatwick service comes after the recently launched flights to Doha from Gatwick by Qatar Airways’ Joint Business partner British Airways, meaning the airlines can now jointly offer more options between London and Doha and beyond.

In addition, UK customers will now have access to four gateways including five-times daily services from London Heathrow, 18-times weekly from Manchester and four-times weekly from Edinburgh, increasing to daily from June 2.