London Gatwick grows Asia connectivity through landmark Norse Atlantic service to Bangkok
- Norse Atlantic will now fly from London Gatwick to Bangkok four times per week
- The new service marks Norse’s first direct flight between the UK and Asia
- Travel to Asia from London Gatwick saw a significant increase this summer, with China and Singapore seeing 16% growth compared with 2024
London Gatwick’s connectivity to Asia continues to grow with the launch of Norse Atlantic Airways’ direct service to Bangkok, Thailand - marking the airline’s first route between the UK and Asia.
Starting yesterday (26 October), the new service will operate four times per week, offering passengers affordable long-haul travel aboard Norse’s modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.
This strategic expansion comes as London Gatwick sees impressive passenger growth to Asian destinations this summer, with routes to China and Singapore recording a 16% year-on-year increase, while services to Central Asia saw a 25% upturn compared with 2024.
The surge reflects growing demand for both leisure and business travel across the region. Passengers can now benefit from 61 weekly services to Asia, including key destinations such as Singapore, Shanghai and Baku.
The Bangkok launch supports Norse Atlantic’s growing presence at London Gatwick, which already includes direct flights to New York, Orlando, Cape Town and Los Angeles.
Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “We’re delighted to welcome Norse Atlantic’s new Bangkok service - a significant milestone for both the airline and London Gatwick. This route not only enhances our connectivity to South East Asia but also supports our vision to offer passengers more choice and value. Bangkok is a vibrant and culturally rich destination and we’re confident this service will be well received by passengers across London and the South East, as demand for connectivity between the UK and Asia continues to grow.”
Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO, Norse Atlantic Airways said: “This marks an exciting new chapter for Norse Atlantic as we launched our first flight from London Gatwick to Bangkok yesterday, with our modern and comfortable Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Thailand has long been a favourite destination for UK passengers, with growing demand. We’re proud to make this beautiful and thrilling destination more accessible than ever with Norse’s affordable and direct service.
“We’re grateful to the London Gatwick team and the Tourism Authority of Thailand for their strong partnership and shared vision. The response to this route has been fantastic and we look forward to the season ahead.”
Time period | Destinations | Passenger numbers |
July - September 2024 | Far East (China and Singapore) | 250k |
July - September 2025 | 290k | |
July - September 2024 | Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan) | 20k |
July - September 2025 | 27k |
With 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top ten airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
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GIP’s scaled platform has over $170bn in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
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London, UK, 19 September 2025
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