Starting next summer, travellers could spend less than £60 to fly to New York from the UK. Budget airline Norwegian Airlines is introducing new low-cost fares on its new Edinburgh-New York Route. Having cut the prices by more than 50 per cent, the one-way flight will only cost £56.
Bjorn Kjos, the airline’s chief executive said: “Our planes are very, very fuel efficient. We have a totally different set up to other airlines.”
Mr. Kjos said the airline is investing in the Boeing 737MAX, whose advanced engine allows it to cover a longer distance. The jets will be purchased in April next year, just in time for the launch of the wallet-friendly flights.
“We’ll also be flying to secondary airports in New York. That means we don’t pay as much and can charge cheaper fares,” he added.
Although Norwegian already operates two flights to New York per day at Gatwick, the new cheap flights will only be available at Edinburgh.
Despite the cheap fares, passengers will be charged extra for check-in luggage, a seat reservation or meals on board.
The airline also launched its UK to Las Vegas return flights last month, which cost less than £400. It also operates direct services to Florida, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Moreover, the budget- airline is planning to increase the number of flights from London to the US by 55 per cent next year in a bid to meet growing customer needs.
Kjos added: “Everyone said low cost long-haul would not work. But passengers have shown that demand is there.”