The four weekly flights start on September 28 and will be the first of the low-cost carrier’s flights from the UK to the Far East.

The flight will be operated in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with 344 seats in both economy and premium cabins.

Premium cabin fares lead in at £699 one way and includes access to No1 Lounges in Gatwick as well as complimentary food in the air.

The new route is the latest long-haul route operated by the airline out of Gatwick where nine are already in operation to the US.

Although it is the first long haul route to leave the UK and head east, the airline is already operating an Oslo-Bangkok route.

Norwegian chief executive Bjorn Kjos said: “Our transatlantic flights have shown the huge demand for affordable long-haul travel, so we are delighted to expand into new markets and offer our first route to Asia from the UK.

“The UK is at the heart of Norwegian’s ambitious plans for growth so it is a significant moment not only to launch this exciting new route, but also for it to be the first long-haul route to take to the skies with our new ‘Norwegian UK’ subsidiary.”

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “These new direct flights between two of the world’s top three financial centres will be welcome news for business travellers, particularly at a time when global trade is increasingly important for the UK economy.”