Manchester: Norwegian Air Shuttle Route News & Schedule Updates

[User001]

On the UK Norwegian home page, it listed London, Edinburgh and Birmingham underneath the 'from' box, so that you could click the tab and do a quick search without typing the routes in.

I spoke to my friend at Norwegian last week and asked why Manchester was not listed(he didn't know it wasn't), and, as if by a miracle, Manchester has now appeared on the list!

Also interesting to note, Manchester appears second in the list after London. It's not an alpabetical list so hopefully some significance to why MAN is second!

Might ask him to start some extra routes from MAN, obviously has influence!

 

[Dobbo]

Assume the Boston route is not on sale?!!

 

[User001]

Shows how well Spain is doing this year.

Despite being late to the game on MAN-Spain, Norwegian have reportedly been blown away by demand and are trying to source extra capacity. Many fares already reaching £359 each way, and a few tour operators have taken capacity.

Been told to expect 4 weekly ALC, 5 weekly AGP, 4 weekly BCN and new routes to Tenerife and Palma before the summer is out.

 

[Dobbo]

User - Are they any further with long haul?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Long haul from the regions coming soon.

£149 US airfares may be coming to Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland

 

[User001]

Cracking news. Thanks Ray.

It's only a matter of time.

Of course, Birmingham and Edinburgh likely to benefit the most out of this as routes are likely to be Boston, New York and at a push, Washington.

With all of these being served from MAN, and in particular the now multiple carriers on New York and Boston, it will be interesting to see if the routes can sustain 3 (on BOS) and 6 (New York) carriers on each.

I suspect BOS will feature from MAN in particular, as I always in wonder why Virgin broke from the 'norm' and announced a new route over a year out, VS and those type of carriers normally announce routes within the 330 day timescale to be able to put the routes on sale. There is much talk around MAN and Thomas Cook in particular that Norwegian were about to enter the UK regions in a big way.

Shall be an interesting watch indeed.

 

[Dobbo]

Interesting to see what network they build in the regions - and to which geographic regions...

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm not sure what is being discussed up there but down here YYZ has been rumoured as a possible destination. I guess it's in range of the MAX and with Norwegians prices it could prove very popular indeed.

 

[User001]

For MAN the strongest rumour throughout has been Boston, with JFK also the main possibility. There have also been talks of LAX and SFO but as a B787 would be needed, I'm sceptical of those routes.

Like I say, there have been many commentators who say that Virgin had an ulterior motive for announcing Boston so early and much earlier than they normally would, seems they got wind Norwegian were about to go for it, and after the expansion of Norwegian at Gatwick, VS wasn't going to let the oppertunity to get their first at MAN pass them by.

I do think Toronto needs more year round capacity, and definitely does from Birmingham. The market from BHX deserves a lot more than 1 weekly TS flight.

 

[Dobbo]

That would make sense - I think canada is fairly poorly served from MAN.

If I was Norwegian, I'd also look to indirect competition from MAN with the MEB3 on popular transfer routes such as:

Bangkok
Kuala Lumpur
Delhi
Mumbai
South Africa

 

[Ray Finkle]

Norwegian are planning India in a big way, it's rumoured as early as this winter.

In one interview the CEO suggested that they would be flying from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata into the UK. MAN to Mumbai and/or Delhi must surely stand a good chance?

 

[User001]

I'd like to think so Ray.

Both air India and Jet Airways have threatened to serve the routes enough times, maybe we need an airline with the balls to do it. Seems we can comfortably support Goa, but DEL and BOM elude us.

Norwegian could be the airline we hope opens up India in the way BHX hope it could open up the USA.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Sometimes it seems as if you just need one to make the first move and then the floodgates open.

I imagine it must be squeaky bum time at TCX?

 

[Dobbo]

Yes - if Norwegian could open up India from MAN, possibly enticing Jet/AI into the market that would be a good outcome.

Agree with User, there was something on the Norwegian website that bookings to BOS opened on 1 April 2016 but that has not come to pass. Maybe as a result of VS and TCX starting the route sooner...

 

[Dobbo]

Sometimes it seems as if you just need one to make the first move and then the floodgates open.

I imagine it must be squeaky bum time at TCX?

Ray

I think TCX have suffered due to aircraft availability. They are clearly going to have to compete with VS at BOS in 2017, at SFO if they wish to continue to pursue that and in all probability also at LAX in time.

All of these routes may be targets of Norwegian, but they may choose to look at monopoly routes to gain a foothold and go from there.

 

[User001]

Apparently TCX are watching closely, but, I would imagine Virgin are doing so also.

With the B787, there is potential for Norwegian to compete on all but the Atlanta route for Virgin.

 

[User001]

I know it's not any direct quote from Norwegian, Manchester seems to be increasingly talked about when it comes to Norwegian Air International serving UK-US routes:

Instead of flying big Boeing 787 Dreamliners from London to New York, flying narrow-body planes from Manchester, England to Pittsburgh or Providence could be the game changer

http://uk.businessinsider.com/norwegian-air-international-america-boeing-2016-4

 

[Dobbo]

If preclearence is implemented it would make MAN hugely attractive to Norwegian.

 

[andyc941]

I've just looked at the ALC flights on the Norwegian website,and its saying that the flights,are being operated by Titan Airways?.

 

[User001]

Seems that way until sept. I was given the impression that Norwegian didn't really have the spare aircraft to add the MAN flights, but were given an offer they couldn't refuse. The use of Titan on the ALC flight seems to support this theosis.

 

[User001]

Norwegian starting a 2 weekly Billund from mid-Sept on Tuesday and Sunday. I'll post the flight numbers and times shortly.

Has accidentally appeared in this months flight check, which uses the airports system to access data, but, will be available to book son.