FLL to Offer London Nonstop Service for First Time in 15 Years

The Broward County Aviation Department in partnership with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has worked together for many years to attract nonstop London service. Norwegian will fly the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" on this route.

FLL had non-stop London service from 1996 to 1998 through Laker Airways and then briefly in 2007 with Zoom Airlines with a stop in Bermuda.

"There's great demand for high quality flights at a low fare between the UK and the U.S., particularly to and from London Gatwick, where no other airline currently offers these routes. We are looking forward to welcoming many new customers on board our brand new aircraft. Launching long-haul routes between London Gatwick and the United States is also an important part of our strategy to expand internationally and get a stronger foothold in markets outside Scandinavia," said Norwegian's CEO Bjørn Kjos.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, commercially branded "Norwegian", is a low-cost airline listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Norwegian is the second largest airline in Scandinavia and third largest low cost carrier in Europe. Close to 18 million passengers chose to fly on its network in 2012. Norwegian has a route portfolio that stretches across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East, as well as long-haul flights to the US and Southeast Asia. The company has a total of 382 routes to 121 destinations on sale and employs approximately 3,000 people in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, UK, Spain, and Thailand. The company has 275 undelivered aircraft on firm order. Norwegian was founded in 1993 and its headquarter is in Fornebu, Norway.

In June 2013, Norwegian was voted Europe's best low-cost carrier of the year by the renowned SkyTrax World Airline Awards. Norwegian offers better leg room than most competitors, in-flight WiFi, world-class punctuality and a fleet of 75 aircraft with an average age of only 4.6 years.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is one of the fastest growing airports in the country and presently ranks 21st in the US in terms of total passenger traffic. With over 600 flights a day, FLL offers non-stop service to more than 60 U.S. cities and international service to Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin American, and Europe. In 2012, FLL served 19.5 million domestic and 3.5 million international travelers.

Strategically located in the heart of the South Florida region, FLL is one of the economic engines that drive Broward County and provides 135,000 jobs and generates $10.6 billion annually for the regional economy.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.