Norse Pulls New York Routes From Winter Schedule

norse 787-9

Norse Atlantic Airways has removed planned flights to New York from its winter schedule, reducing its U.S. network to just one route during the season.

OAG Schedules Analyser data shows the airline had planned to offer approximately 41,600 two-way seats on routes to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from both London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) during the winter 2026-27 season. Each was scheduled to operate as many as 3X-weekly using Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

However, the latest schedules show that while the routes will be retained through the closing weeks of the summer season, regular service on both airport pairs will end from late October. Their withdrawal leaves Norse without New York service during the winter and sees London Gatwick-Orlando as its only scheduled transatlantic route during the season.

Overall, the airline’s planned winter network has shrunk from about 552,000 two-way seats in last week’s OAG filing to approximately 446,500 seats. The two New York routes account for about 83,200 of the seats removed.

Norse’s original business model centered on low-cost transatlantic flying. During its launch season in summer 2022, seven of the carrier’s eight routes served the U.S., including flights from Oslo to New York JFK, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Los Angeles, as well as Berlin services to New York and Los Angeles and London Gatwick-New York.

Analysis of the winter schedule shows operations are increasingly concentrated on long-haul leisure routes linking Europe with Thailand. Flights to Bangkok and Phuket from London Gatwick, Manchester, Oslo and Stockholm account for about 313,000 seats during winter 2026-27—approximately 70% of the airline’s scheduled capacity.

The latest network changes come as six 787-9s are set to return from an ACMI agreement with IndiGo on Nov. 1. Norse had previously said it planned to deploy some of the returning capacity within its own network, expanding Europe-Thailand operations and adding New York and Orlando flying.

The company is also in discussions with several airlines over new ACMI and charter placements for up to five of the returning aircraft. It reported a second-quarter net loss of $70.6 million, compared with $5.9 million a year earlier, while revenue fell 34.8% to $132 million.

Additionally, Norse is implementing a cost-reduction program targeting $50 million in annual savings from 2027 and is conducting a strategic review that could result in a sale, merger or partnership.

Earlier this month, the airline said it would remain cautious about capacity as fuel prices stay elevated. In August, the airline operated 238 flights within its scheduled network, down from 607 a year earlier, while ACMI and charter operations increased from 52 to 253 flights.

“Our deliberate capacity reductions reflect persistently high fuel prices and while this lowers the number of passengers Norse carry, we fly with nearly full airplanes,” CEO Eivind Roald said.

“As fuel prices remain elevated, we remain mindful of our capacity allocation in the coming months in line with our flexible fleet deployment strategy. Bookings for the upcoming winter season continue to show promise.”

David Casey

David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.