Norwegian Air opens new base in Gran Canaria increasing flights from Scandinavia


Norwegian Air opens new base in Gran Canaria increasing flights from Scandinavia

Norwegian Air has opened a new permanent base at Gran Canaria Airport, marking a significant expansion of its operations in the Canary Islands. With three aircraft based on the island, Norwegian will operate nine routes from Scandinavia, representing a 17.9% increase in seat availability compared to last winter’s seasonal operations.

In total, they will operate around 40 flights a week this winter from cities including Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Sandefjord-Torp (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), and Stockholm and Gothenburg (Sweden).

Unlike previous seasonal arrangements, this base will now operate year-round, including services next summer to Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. “We are thrilled to return to Gran Canaria with a new base,” stated Norwegian’s CEO Geir Karlsen during the opening event, held at Gran Canaria Airport.

“Our history here started in 2007 with our first flight to Oslo. Since then, nearly 5.5 million Nordic passengers have visited. Gran Canaria remains a top winter destination, and our growth here is a testament to that.”

The inauguration event was attended by Karlsen alongside key figures such as Pablo Llinares, Managing Director of Gran Canaria Tourism; Julio Peñalver, Gran Canaria Airport Director; and Odd Are Tveit, Honorary Consul of Norway in Las Palmas. Gran Canaria’s local team also includes 36 pilots and 66 cabin crew, many of whom are returning Spanish and Canarian professionals who previously worked on the island.

According to Llinares, this development is a major milestone for Gran Canaria’s tourism sector, creating around 100 jobs and providing a significant boost to the local economy. “This reopening represents a crucial step, enabling us to serve four Scandinavian countries from nine airports, increasing our visitor numbers by an initial 18% from last year’s 150,000 travellers,” he stated.

Norwegian’s commitment to Gran Canaria is underscored by promising projections, with an 85% occupancy rate on flights to the island. The airline anticipates that Gran Canaria will account for 70% of all its Canary Islands-bound flights this winter. From January to September 2024 alone, Norwegian carried 95,473 passengers to Gran Canaria, reflecting the growing appeal of the island among Scandinavian travellers.

Norwegian Air opens new base in Gran Canaria increasing flights from Scandinavia

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