Norse will offer three flights a week from 28 October, with basic economy fares from £499 return and Norse Premium seats from £1,199.

Flight will depart Gatwick on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 20.00, arriving at 09.30. Inbound flights will leave Cape Town at 11.45 and arrive at Gatwick at 21.35.

Norse’s arrival on the route takes advantage of the lack of South African Airways’ presence in the UK and replaces the seasonal capacity previously offered by Thomas Cook Airlines. Currently, only British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly to Cape Town, both from Heathrow. BA offered the route from Gatwick pre-pandemic.

Bjorn Tore Larsen, Norse chief executive and founder, said: “We are thrilled to introduce our new route between London and Cape Town. By breaking the duopoly on this route, we are not only expanding travel options for consumers but also driving down costs and putting the customer back in the pilot’s seat.” 

The launch of Cape Town means the airline’s routes to Barbados and Montego Bay will not operate next winter.

However, Stephanie Wear, Gatwick’s vice-president, aviation development, said: “We are proud to welcome another new route from Norse Atlantic, connecting passengers across London and the south-east with Cape Town from October.

“Norse has continued to grow at London Gatwick and provide excellent connectivity to a number of key markets across the USA. This new route to South Africa is great news not only for those looking for a fantastic holiday destination, but also for trade and inbound tourism.”