Norwegian crew welcome passengers on board
Norwegian crew welcome passengers on board

Press release -

Norwegian’s new direct route to Santa Claus takes off

Low-cost airline Norwegian is continuing its UK expansion with a new direct service from London Gatwick to Lapland launching today – just in time for Christmas!

From 02 December, Norwegian will commence the UK’s only scheduled direct flight to Lapland’s capital – Rovaniemi, the official home of Father Christmas. With two weekly flights departing on a Friday and Monday, the schedule allows for a long weekend break to meet Santa Claus with prices starting from £69.90 one-way. Norwegian’s brand new 186 seat aircraft will service the route; offering passengers free in-flight Wi-Fi, perfect for creating that all-important Christmas wish list before meeting the man himself!

While Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, is well known for being the home of Santa Claus, it’s not all about the Christmas festivities. Situated on the Article Circle, the town offers an abundance of outdoor adventure activities such as snowmobiling, as well as the chance to take in the natural wonder of the Northern Lights.

Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said; “As our growth in the UK continues, we are excited to finish the year with our first international service to Lapland. The new service will give our passengers a direct route to the home of Santa Clause as well as another opportunity to experience the Northern Lights. Norwegian is the only airline offering passenger’s high quality at a low cost with free Wi-Fi, brand new aircraft and a growing route network to the most sought after destinations.”

Sanna Karkkainen, Managing Director at Visit Rovaniemi said; "The Winter season looks extremely good for Rovaniemi – The Official Hometown of Santa Claus ® and we are excited for the launch of Norwegian’s brand new London –Rovaniemi service. The UK is a top market for travellers who not only want to experience the magic of Christmas but also Lapland throughout the winter season. Rovaniemi as a fantastic gateway and offers great accessibility to neighbouring resorts in Lapland. Visit Rovaniemi and Visit Finland look forward to welcoming Norwegian’s passengers and for them to experience Rovaniemi”.

Norwegian’s new service to Rovaniemi will be the airlines fourth new European route to launch in the UK this winter. A new direct route from London Gatwick to Iceland took flight earlier this month, as well as two new routes from Manchester to Gran Canaria and Tenerife – ideal for some winter sun.

Flight schedule: London Gatwick – Rovaniemi

Departs Monday and Friday:05:50Arrives:11:10

Flight schedule: Rovaniemi – London Gatwick

Departs Monday and Friday:11:50Arrives:13:30

Award winning airline Norwegian now serves over 40 business and leisure winter destinations from London Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham and offers the UK’s only direct low-cost flights to the U.S. with fares available from £135 in economy and £399 in Premium to destinations including Boston, Las Vegas and Oakland-San Francisco from London Gatwick.

To book visit www.norwegian.com/uk or call0330 8280854

Topics

Categories

Norwegian in the UK:

  • Norwegian first launched UK flights in 2003 and now operates from London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester Airports to more than 40 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 3.9 million yearly passengers, and with more than 700 pilots, cabin crew and staff working from its Gatwick base
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 8 U.S destinations with fares from just £135 one way
  • Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations
  • The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.6 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for four consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2016, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in both 2015 and 2016

Contacts

For journalists only

For journalists only

Press contact Norwegian Press Office +47 815 11 816
Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Press contact Marketing/sponsorship requests: marketing@norwegian.com

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Norwegian.com

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2023, the airline had 3.3 million passengers and a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 45 Bombardier Dash 8’s and three Embraer E190-E2's. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.

The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.

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