• London-Rio de Janeiro flights to launch with four weekly services from 31 March 2019
• New service breaks the monopoly on nonstop flights between the UK and Brazil
• Airline increases its South America presence with new route

Norwegian today launches the UK’s first low-fare flights to Brazil with a brand-new direct route from London to Rio de Janeiro. Consumers can now book the most affordable nonstop flights to Brazil from £240 one way at www.norwegian.com/uk

Voted Skytrax 2018 World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline, Norwegian offers a growing network of long-haul flights from London Gatwick to 12 popular USA destinations and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The airline has grown to operate more long-haul routes than any other airline at London Gatwick and has established itself as a leading transatlantic airline.

From Sunday 31 March 2019, Norwegian will break the monopoly on flights to Brazil with a new service to Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport (GIG) from London Gatwick Airport. Four weekly flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with up to 344 leather seats in an economy and Premium cabin configuration.

Customers can take advantage of affordable fares to Brazil from £239.90 one way and £549.90 one way in Premium, which offers spacious deep reclining leather seats with more than a metre of legroom, priority boarding and a complimentary three-course meal service and a selection of drinks.

Outbound flights depart London at 12:00, arriving in Rio de Janeiro at 19:25, the inbound flights depart Rio de Janeiro 22:25 arriving 13:35 at Gatwick Airport. The convenient flight schedule will also offer Norwegian customers in Europe and Brazil opportunities for onward connections using the carrier’s short-haul network of European flights.

Members of Norwegian’s free-to-join loyalty programme, Norwegian Reward, can earn and spend CashPoints on flight bookings to the airline’s newest long-haul destination. CashPoints are earned on flight bookings and with Reward’s partners that can be spent toward the cost of any Norwegian flight.

Bjorn Kjos, Chief Executive Officer at Norwegian said: “We’re building on our expansive global network by launching the UK’s most affordable flights to Brazil and making South America available to even more consumers.

“Our new Rio de Janeiro route breaks the monopoly on direct flights between the UK and Brazil as we’re committed to lowering fares and making travel more affordable for all holidaymakers and business travellers.

“Brazil is a fantastic addition to our global network and we look forward to welcoming customers on board.”

His Excellency Fred Arruda, the Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom said:"The new direct flight from London to Rio de Janeiro by Norwegian is excellent news for connectivity between Brazil and the United Kingdom. It will certainly increase the flow of tourists, allowing more British people to enjoy the beauties of Brazil. It will also help to create jobs in our country and improve competition, potentially reducing costs for passengers. For that, we praise Norwegian’s announcement of the new route. "

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport said: “Gatwick is delighted to welcome another ground-breaking direct route into South America from Norwegian. This pioneering service to Rio de Janeiro builds on the exceptional choice of destinations and fares already on offer for Gatwick passengers, which has grown to more than 60 direct long haul routes. The UK’s connectivity into South America is extremely important for the future and a new direct, affordable route to Brazil will provide exciting opportunities for both business and leisure travellers.”

The new route to Rio de Janeiro follows Norwegian’s existing service to South America with direct flights from London to the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires. The Gatwick-Buenos Aires route will increase from four weekly flights to a daily service from 3 December in response to customer demand. In October, the airline launched domestic flights in Argentina with two routes from Buenos Aires to Mendoza and Cordoba ahead of planned new routes to Salta, Iguazú,Bariloche and Neuquén.

Norwegian was ranked the most fuel-efficient airline on transatlantic routes by The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.7 years.

From London Gatwick, the airline’s long-haul network serves Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale / Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland / San Francisco, Orlando, Seattle and Tampa.