Norse: Athens to New York JFK Direct Route Now Open for Summer 2024

Athens Airport officials and Norse Atlantic Airways representatives celebrating the launch of nonstop flights between Athens and New York JFK. Photo source: AIA

Norse Atlantic Airways, a Norwegian low-cost, long-haul airline, celebrated the launch of its nonstop seasonal flights between Athens and New York JFK on Thursday.

Operated by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the flights will run up to five times a week during the summer season, with fares starting from 239 euros one way in Economy and 458 euros one way in Norse Premium, including all taxes and fees.

The seasonal Athens-New York route is scheduled to operate until the end of September.

Norse Atlantic Airways CEO and founder Bjorn Tore Larsen speaking to the media in Athens. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

“We are excited to introduce this new direct service, offering travelers a convenient and efficient way to travel between Athens and New York,” said Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO and founder of Norse Atlantic Airways, during a media briefing in Athens.

According to Larsen, Athens is a destination that needs to become even more accessible to the traveling public.

“We have a very good product and a very good proposition to offer a large part of the traveling public,” he said, adding that he expects the new connection to be a success.

“Our connection with New York may be the first step towards expanding our presence at Athens Airport to other destinations in the US… We are also open to expanding the route to New York to year-round service if it proves profitable,” Larsen added.

Norse Atlantic Airways CEO and founder Bjorn Tore Larsen. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Founded in 2021, Norse has a fleet of 15 modern, fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly Boeing 787 Dreamliners serving destinations including New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Bangkok, Cape Town, Oslo, Athens, London, Berlin, Rome, and Paris.

Speaking during the event, Athens International Airport (AIA) Director of Communications & Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou said the new direct service connecting AIA and JFK offers a “great option” for the traveling public.

“The new service enhances Athens’ connectivity to the US, which currently ranks at the top among our most important and popular markets,” she said.

Athens Airport aims to open flights to Miami, West Coast

AIA Director of Communications & Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

According to Papadopoulou, AIA aims to strengthen Athens’ and Greece’s overall connectivity with the US, prioritizing the launch of direct routes to Miami and the West Coast.

Presenting data, Papadopoulou mentioned that the US market ranked sixth in terms of international direct traffic (Greek and foreign travelers) in 2023, showing a 66 percent increase compared to 2019. Additionally, it ranked first in terms of foreign visitors, with a 51 percent increase over 2019.

Source : AIA MIS & AIA PASSENGER Survey

Source : AIA MIS & AIA PASSENGER Survey

“The American market maintained its momentum in 2024,” she added.

In terms of international direct traffic (Greek and foreign travelers), during the first quarter of 2024, the US market was in 13th place on the list of Athens Airport’s markets, registering a 30 percent increase compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

Similarly, in terms of foreign visitors, it ranked first with a 22 percent increase compared to the four-month January-April 2023 period.

Athens Airport: 82 weekly departures to the US (in peak Summer) vs. 67 in Summer 2023

AIA Director of Communications & Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou presenting this year’s US services. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

With the addition of Norse’s Athens-New York flights to Athens Airport, the airport will have 82 scheduled weekly departures (peak season) to the US in 2024, compared to 67 in summer 2023. This translates to almost 12 departures per day (or 1 departure every 2 hours), with 5 airlines now flying (up from 4 last year) to 6 different cities from Athens and 7 US airports.

Source : AIA MIS

This year, Athens is connected to New York, Newwark, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia.

Airlines operating the Athens-New York route this summer, in addition to Emirates which has a year-round connection, include American Airlines, United, Delta, and now Norse.

Passenger demographics

Eighty-one percent of travelers from the US visit Greece for leisure purposes, while fourteen percent travel to visit friends and relatives, with only three percent traveling for business reasons.

Similarly, the profile of travelers from New York mirrors this trend, representing over 60 percent of direct arrivals from the US to Athens Airport.

According to AIA’s data, 72 percent of travelers from New York visit Greece for holidays, while 20 percent come to visit friends and relatives, and four percent travel for business reasons. On average, the length of trip of New Yorkers is 16 days with 3 days spent in Athens. The average length of trip for Greeks from New York to Athens is 17 days.