Norwegian flights: Airline to fly to Chicago and Austin from London Gatwick

Austin and Chicago join schedules next March, meaning the low-cost airline will rival Virgin Atlantic for number of US cities served

Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Getty)

As Chicago and Austin join Norwegian’s expanding route network from Gatwick, the airline is challenging Virgin Atlantic in its reach of US destinations.

Norwegian will fly to Chicago O’Hare and the Texas state capital from March 2018, using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The airline already has existing or previously announced routes from Gatwick to eight US cities: Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Orlando and Seattle. So next summer it looks like having only one fewer American destinations from London than Virgin Atlantic, which has 11. But if New York JFK and Newark (both served by Virgin) are regarded as the same destination, then Norwegian will be level in cities served.

Virgin Atlantic has much higher frequencies on its US routes, and also has a partnership with Delta which greatly extends travellers’ options. But Norwegian also has flights from Edinburgh and Belfast to three other US gateways: Providence, Stewart and Hartford.

Bjorn Kjos, chief executive of Norwegian, said: “Many people said low-cost long-haul would never work but three years, 13 routes and 1.5 million UK passengers later and Norwegian has shown there is huge demand for more affordable long-haul travel.”

Norwegian’s new Chicago route costs from £179 one way and will operate only four times a week; American Airlines has four flights a day to the “Windy City” from Heathrow, with British Airways and United also competing.

To Austin, there will be just three weekly flights, costing from £239 one way. The infrequency of the route will limit the appeal to business travellers - though for Texans, the earlier arrival in London, over two hours before BA’s existing Heathrow service, may appeal.

Gatwick’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said: “Gatwick’s long haul network breaks yet another world record as we now offer 62 long haul routes – more than any other single runway airport in the world - and the fifth-largest network of any airport in Europe.”

Last week the Government reiterated its commitment to a third runway at Heathrow.