Norse Atlantic Airways will launch flights between the United Kingdom and Cape Town at the end of October this year.
The low-cost airline will offer 3 flights a week between London Gatwick and Cape Town International Airport, using a Boeing 787 aircraft.
This is the long-haul low-cost carrier’s first foray into Africa, after establishing itself in Europe and the United States.
Jon Howell, CEO and founder of AviaDev, a route development agency promoting airline connectivity on the African continent, spoke to Philip Allport, Senior Vice President of Communications at Norse Atlantic Airways, unpacking the details of this new service.    Â
ABOUT NORSE ATLANTIC
Norse Atlantic is a relatively new airline, founded in February 2021. The low-cost carrier started operations in June of 2022.
Headquartered in Norway, Norse Atlantic operates mainly transatlantic flights between Europe and the US.
Norse flies from several locations in Europe including the UK, France, Greece, and Italy.
The airline also introduced flights between Oslo and Bangkok in November last year.
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NORSE ATLANTIC CAPE TOWN FLIGHTS
The airline will launch its seasonal service to Cape Town on 28 October.
Allport said that Norse Atlantic had been looking at Cape Town as a potential destination for quite some time.
The launch date coincides with the peak tourist season in South Africa.
This translates into higher tourist flows to Cape Town from Europe.
HIGH PASSENGER DEMAND
Allport said that there was massive passenger demand for flights on this route.
This means that Norse Atlantic is entering a market where steady passenger demand already exists.
Allport stated that the establishment of this route came about after much research and collaboration.
He praised Wesgro’s Cape Town Air Access team and London Gatwick’s route development team.
LOW-COST LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS
The budget carrier operates a low-cost business model, aiming to promote air travel for everyone.
Norse offers various fares from seat-only options to premium economy class.
Although its flights are low-cost services, passengers will be surprised by the amount of space available on Norse’s Boeing 787.
Moreover, Norse Atlantic is launching the Cape Town route with some very attractive fares. Â
UNBUNDLED FARE OPTIONS
Fares are unbundled, meaning passengers can opt for the services they need, ranging from seat-only to premium economy, which includes catering, large seats and checked baggage.
Furthermore, Norse Atlantic’s premium economy rivals those offered by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
These full-service airlines operate flights between London and Cape Town.
The major difference is that Norse passengers can enjoy more space in premium economy than the same product offered by both full-service carriers.
FLYING TO LONDON GATWICK
A benefit for South Africans is that Norse Atlantic offers competitive fares, ranging from ZAR 4 998 per adult one way, excluding baggage.
The airline flies to London Gatwick Airport, which is another advantage.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, fly to the capital’s busy Heathrow Airport.
Gatwick offers smooth and seamless passenger processing and convenient ground transportation to central London.
CONNECTIVITY WITH EASYJET
Norse does not have partnerships with other airlines, allowing passengers to connect to other parts of Europe.
However, its virtual interline agreement with easyJet enables travellers to continue to other destinations in easyJet’s route network.