Fort Lauderdale to London non-stop service on Norse Atlantic to begin in May

Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·3 min read
Norse Atlantic Airways announce new non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to London beginning in May. The no-frills airline will also offer service from Orlando International Airport as well.
Norse Atlantic Airways announce new non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to London beginning in May. The no-frills airline will also offer service from Orlando International Airport as well.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is increasing its international footprint with non-stop flights to London beginning May 26.

Fort Lauderdale's airport had over a thousand cancellations and many delays since Wednesday because of the massive flooding caused by rain storms this past week, but regular service at the airport resumed Friday morning.

The carrier, Norse Atlantic Airways, has set introductory one-way prices at $192. Three Norse Atlantic flights a week will be offered from Fort Lauderdale to London’s Gatwick Airport in May and June, and then four times a week after May 26. Gatwick is about 30 miles south of London.

Norse Atlantic will also offer similar service from Orlando International Airport. Its planes there will fly non-stop to Gatwick beginning in late May. The new Florida routes will be in addition to the current daily New York to London service. Norse Atlantic already flies out of Fort Lauderdale, providing non-stop service to Oslo Airport in Norway.

El Al Israel Airlines recently announced that it will offer non-stop service to from Fort Lauderdale to Tel Aviv in September to coincide with the Jewish holidays. Year-round flights will begin in 2024.

Norse Atlantic was founded in 2021 and offers more affordable fares, sometimes as low as $250 round trip, for flights to Europe. One of its partners is Spirit Airlines, and its business model is similar. Norse Atlantic has been significantly expanding its routes to the U.S. in recent months.

Passengers pay extra for things like a checked bag or meal and the airline has a tiered selection of fares ranging from "Basic Economy" (checked luggage is not included and in-flight meals will cost more) to “Plus” (free checked bags, meals, and greater flexibility on ticket changes).

Graphic shows January air traffic at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) for January. International traffic was up 65% over the same month a year ago.
Graphic shows January air traffic at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) for January. International traffic was up 65% over the same month a year ago.

Norse Atlantic had offered service to Berlin from Fort Lauderdale but ended it on March 24. It is uncertain whether the Berlin route will again be offered next winter.

The Gatwick flights from Fort Lauderdale offer Palm Beach County residents an alternative to making the long drive to Miami International Airport, where several non-stop flights to London are scheduled daily.

El Al to launch nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale airport to Tel Aviv in September

Direct flights from West Palm to Raleigh, N.C., take off from PBIA

Spirit will now fly non-stop from PBIA to Atlantic City

International flights from Fort Lauderdale are soaring. In January and February, 1.3 million passengers flew out of the airport on international flights, an increase of 62% from the first two months in 2022. Nearly 6,000 passengers flew on Norse Atlantic flights to Oslo and Berlin in February.

The international passenger traffic at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is expected to grow once the Norse Atlantic’s flights to London begin in late May.

“We look forward to a busy summer ahead as we bring value fares and a fantastic service to passengers looking to travel across the Atlantic,” said Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic. Larsen told USA Today that there “is a huge demand for Americans to go to Europe," adding:  "The American dollar goes a long way for tourists who want to do luxury or budget traveling, but still you can find a lot of good offers.

“We're basically offering affordable fares to people. We know where people want to travel, and we want to give an alternative to the existing offerings right now."

Fort Lauderdale airport spokeswoman Arlene Satchell said that she expects international passenger traffic will continue to gain traction in 2023 barring any unforeseen issues that may impact consumers appetite for overseas air travel. The Norse Atlantic flights and and the return of some Canadian, Brazilian, Caribbean, and South American routes suspended during the pandemic have helped international passenger volume to rebound year over year.

As for additional international flights, Satchell said the airport is "always on the lookout for opportunities to expand our domestic and international airline portfolio to offer the traveling public more connectivity options to their destinations of choice."

For more information on the Norse Atlantic flights, visit www.flynorse.com.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Norse Atlantic will offer non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale to London