New Belfast to USA flights announced

From July, Norwegian will commence two never before seen routes from Belfast International Airport, offering five weekly flights direct to the greater New York and Boston areas. The flights will serve smaller US airports which offer good access into the Boston, New York and New England areas but carry significantly lower landing charges, allowing Norwegian to offer some truly affordable fares that will allow as many people as possible to fly.

The new transatlantic routes will be operated on brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft - Norwegian is the European launch customer for this state-of-the-art new aircraft which offers a longer range and greater seat capacity than existing single-aisle aircraft. Passengers will be able to travel in a fresh and modern single-class economy cabin with hot and cold food options available to purchase onboard.

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos said: “Norwegian are shaking up transatlantic travel once again with ground-breaking fares and never before seen routes. We are delighted to announce our first ever flights from Belfast and to ensure the city maintains its crucial transatlantic links. The cost of transatlantic travel has been too high for too long so by connecting Northern Ireland with smaller US airports, we can offer some truly affordable fares, allowing as many people as possible to fly.

Graham Keddie, Managing Director, Belfast International Airport, said: “Both symbolically and from an economic standpoint, the New York link is the best possible boost for Northern Ireland. We’re set to see a reduced Corporation Tax rate to help boost our inward investment, and it would have been undermined if we didn’t have a direct service.

“It was vitally important for Northern Ireland to re-connect with the United States of America. Without a direct air link, the job of attracting new investment and expanding Northern Ireland tourism would be a lot harder.

“Now, Norwegian, which has one of the youngest fleets in the business, has stepped up to the mark. There is an established market and re-instating a New York service was the main objective. Securing Boston was the icing on the cake!

“This is a great day for the airport, Northern Ireland, indeed, the entire northern half of the island of Ireland. The Norwegian fare structure will be unbeatable, and we expect that that will prove hugely attractive to people living across the border who are tired of paying top dollar for trans-Atlantic services.”

Welcoming the new route the Northern Ireland Economy Minister, Simon Hamilton, MLA said:

“This announcement of a new direct transatlantic service provided by Norwegian from Belfast International Airport, will ensure that Northern Ireland’s air connectivity to the United States is maintained. Direct flights to the United States are critically important to Northern Ireland in respect of inbound tourism, trade and investment.

“I have worked alongside Belfast International Airport and Norwegian to put this new service in place and I will continue to work with our airports and others to improve connectivity. This is why I announced that I want to establish an air routes task force to ensure that we can continue to identify new routes and new airlines. I hope that this service will prove successful and be able to expand, in due course.”

Norwegian is Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier, carrying 30 million yearly passengers to more than 140 global destinations. Norwegian has been voted the Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline for two consecutive years at the renowned SkyTrax Awards, and the Europe’s Best Low-Cost Airline for four consecutive years.

Flights are now available to book now at www.norwegian.com/uk