Norwegian Air to launch direct flights to Paris from U.S. July 29

Norway’s long-haul low-cost carrier Norwegian Air is all set to launch new flights services to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) from three destinations in the United States from July this year. The airline will start operating flights from Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and New York to Paris CDG effective from July 29, 2016. The airline’s move is being seen as a clear challenge to the current dominance of Air France on these evidently most profitable routes.

According to the new schedule, Norwegian Air will be operating flights to Paris CDG from New York JFK four-times per week. Los Angeles will be served with twice weekly flights, while the airline will be offering once weekly flight from Fort Lauderdale. The new routes would also be served for the first time from Paris CDG. The airline had so far been conducting its flights services to only five Scandinavian destinations from Paris Orly.

Norwegian Air recently launched its new flights to Boston from London and Oslo. The flights between Boston and London started operating from March 27, 2016, while the flights on Boston-Oslo route became operational from April 2 this year. The airline will also be launching two other new routes this May. The flights services on San Francisco/Oakland-London route will be launched from May 12, while the Boston-Copenhagen route will become operational from May 17.

Travel experts said that the opening of a hub at Paris CDG by Norwegian Air has come as a big surprise for Air France. Media reports said that Norwegian Air had in December 2015 announced that it would be launching flights between Paris Orly and New York JFK in a move aimed at defending its lucrative New York-Paris routes. The airline has in the past three years gradually succeeded in strengthening its base in New York by adding flights services to various European destinations as well as the French Caribbean. Air France is now increasingly finding the going tough with the solid entry of Norwegian Air and finds it challenging for its dominant France-U.S. market.