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Norwegian launches UK’s cheapest direct flights to Chicago from £140

  • Airline to commence daily service from London to Chicago from £140 (£265 return)
  • Global expansion continues with airline’s first route to the US Midwest

Norwegian, voted ‘World’s Best Low Cost Long Haul Airline’, will commence the UK’s cheapest direct flights to Chicago this weekend from £139.90 one way available to book now at www.norwegian.com/uk

From 25 March, Norwegian will commence a daily nonstop service from London Gatwick Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport – the airline’s first and only route to Chicago on its global network.

Passengers will fly in comfort on brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft offering up to 344 leather seats in modern economy and Premium cabins. The year-round service is Norwegian’s first new route from London to the USA in 2018 as the airline continues its long-haul expansion from the UK.

Europe’s third largest low-cost airline, will operate its newly delivered 787 Dreamliners on the Chicago route that feature a new expanded 56-seat Premium cabin which offers passengers more than a metre of legroom with enhanced service. These new aircraft have been in operation since February and are part of Norwegian’s commitment to operate its newest aircraft from the UK before anywhere else on its global network.

Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said: “We’re delighted to unlock another key gateway to the USA by launching the UK’s cheapest nonstop flights to Chicago.

“Our daily flights to Chicago builds upon our expanding long-haul network at London Gatwick and our strong reputation for providing high quality flights to iconic destinations at great value.

“Now leisure and business passengers can take advantage of convenient schedules and fly in comfort on our newest 787 Dreamliners to the Windy City.”

Guy Stephenson, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said:“It’s fantastic to see Norwegian expanding its pioneering long-haul network from Gatwick with this new route to Chicago, which provides a crucial link between the UK and one of the world’s most important business hubs. Chicago is also an American cultural epicentre and our passengers can look forward to enjoying its vibrant theatre scene, world-renowned architecture and iconic culinary offerings when they visit.

“Long-haul is thriving at Gatwick and this new service is a welcome addition to our diverse network of over 60 direct long-haul destinations.”

David Whitaker, President & CEO of Choose Chicago said: “We are thrilled to add Norwegian as an option for travellers coming to Chicago. The UK is not only one of our top international markets; it is also a vital part of our global strategic efforts to attract more visitors to the city. With this new route, more UK visitors will have the opportunity to visit Chicago for long weekend getaways as well as lengthier vacations.”

Whitaker added: “Whether it’s Chicago’s breathtaking skyline, rich arts and culture offerings, world class dining scene or eclectic neighborhoods, we look forward to welcoming passengers aboard Norwegian’s new flight to O’Hare International Airport to experience the vibrancy and excitement of one of America’s greatest cities.”

Members of Norwegian’s loyalty programme, Norwegian Reward, can earn CashPoints when booking flights to Chicago. CashPoints are Norwegian Reward’s currency that can be spent without restriction toward the cost of future flights with Norwegian, including extra baggage, seat reservation and flight taxes.

Norwegian currently serves 11 US destinations nonstop from London Gatwick including, Denver, Seattle and Austin, which launches on 27 March. Last month, the airline continued its global expansion by commencing its first route to South America with a four-weekly service from London to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The airline has been voted Skytrax ‘World’s Best Low Cost Long Haul Airline’ by travellers worldwide three years consecutively and has also been voted Skytrax ‘Best Low Cost Airline Europe’ six years in a row.

  • ENDS

Notes to editors

  • Fares are per person and based on the lowest available one-way fare incl. taxes and charges.

Flight schedule - all times local

  • London Gatwick (LGW) to Chicago (ORD) DI 7151 departs 16:00, arrives 18:40 daily
  • Chicago (ORD) to London Gatwick (LGW) DI 7152 departs 21:05, arrives 11:15+1 daily

(Schedule slightly varying by day of week)

Topics


Norwegian in the UK:

  • Norwegian carries 5.8 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 50 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 1,000 UK-based pilots and cabin crew
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 11 U.S destinations, Buenos Aires and Singapore
  • In 2017, Norwegian also launched affordable transatlantic flights from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon to the US East Coast, using the brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
  • 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, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for five consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2017, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015, 2016 and 2017
  • Norwegian Reward is the airline's free to join award-winning loyalty programme offering members CashPoints and Rewards that reduce the cost of Norwegian flights

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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