Filings to slot coordinators show Norse asked for 2,722 slots at Stansted next summer, and received the entire allocation. It also applied for 5,445 slots at Gatwick, but has not secured them in the initial allocation process.
Oslo-based Norse has confirmed it will launch services in March from the UK to New York’s Stewart airport, 65 miles north of Manhattan, plus others to Fort Lauderdale and Ontario International airport – 38 miles east of Los Angeles.
A Norse spokesperson told TTG: “We view both Gatwick and Stansted as potential bases for our UK operation, and we are still keeping our options open.”
Gatwick has been served since August by New York’s JetBlue, which flies to New York JFK and plans to serve Boston from the UK. JetBlue asked for 650 new Gatwick slots and was granted 552, meaning Norse’s failure to obtain Gatwick slots comes as JetBlue looks set to expand there.
The refusal, so far, to allocate slots to Norse could also stifle its ambition to succeed Norwegian at Gatwick.
Norwegian closed its long-haul arm during the pandemic in a bid to survive; Norse will launch with Boeing 787s previously flown by Norwegian. It also has several of its ex-staff members.
TTG has approached both Stansted and Gatwick for comment.
Primera Air operated low-cost long-haul from Stansted, flying to the US, but collapsed in October 2018.
