Budget airline Norse is axing half its US to Europe routes, making cheap Transatlantic travel more difficult

Business Insider

9 hours ago

If you want a cheap flight to Europe, you're going to have to look a little harder after Norse Atlantic Airways cut half of its US routes.
In October, the budget airline — which is popular with American tourists coming to Europe — will stop a number of key routes from the US, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. It will then cut further routes in November.
The routes being cut include:
Los Angeles to Athens, Greece
Miami to London
New York to Berlin
New York to Oslo, Norway
New York to Paris
Los Angeles to Paris
The cuts were first shared by X user @SeanM1997, who often reports on airline schedule changes.
This could be a blow for travelers on a budget hoping to fly long-haul, as Norse can keep costs low with its no-frills offering.
For next month, a one-way Norse flight from New York to Berlin starts at $149, compared to $335 with United Airlines.
Like most budget airlines, Norse relies on add-ons to make money. In its second-quarter results, released on Tuesday, it said average revenue per passenger was $372 — 20% of which came from ancillary fees.
The network change comes after Norse agreed to lease half of its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to IndiGo. The Indian airline is expected to operate the six planes by early next year.
Leasing aircraft has become a key part of Norse's strategy as it has struggled to turn a profit.
In the second quarter, it lost $6 million despite its flights being 97% full.
It also said that there has been "some softness" in transatlantic travel this summer, one of the most competitive routes in aviation.
That comes as Europeans have shown less interest in flying to the US since Donald Trump began his second term as president, while American fliers in particular are more willing to spend extra for premium experiences.
Delta Air Lines reported that its revenue for coach tickets fell 5% in the second quarter, but rose 5% for premium cabins.
Economic concerns over inflation and the impact of tariffs also mean the thriftiest spenders may cut back on travel completely.
Plus, the dollar has lost 11% of its value against the euro since Trump took office, so Americans have less purchasing power on their trips across the Atlantic.
Norse is instead seeing "strong demand" for flights to Asia and Africa in its winter schedule.
Cirium data shows that in October, it will start flying to Bangkok from Oslo, Stockholm, and London, and to Cape Town from London.