US WEST COAST CALLING!!! Norse Atlantic Airways & Athens International Airport, a partnership full of opportunities

On the 9th of May, Athens International Airport and Norse Atlantic Airways held a Press Conference to present the inauguration of the Athens – Los Angeles new route, the spectacular growth in operations at Athens and early steps in preparing for a base operations in Athens! 

Norse will launch the first-ever nonstop service between Athens and Los Angeles on June the 3rd, marking a milestone in transatlantic air travel from Athens and expanding direct connectivity to the U.S. West Coast.

Founder and CEO Mr Bjørn Tore Larsen, Norse Atlantic Airways,  during the press conference said, “This route is not currently served by other airlines. We saw demand in the market and an opportunity to grow in new long-haul segments. Our goal is to make travel accessible and affordable for everyone, and Athens is an ideal destination for our network.”

Director of Communications and Marketing Mrs Ioanna Papadopoulou, Athens International Airport, said, “June the 3rd will be a big day for Athens Airport, as the connection with Los Angeles / US West Coast will be the first ever for our city and our country! A dynamic airline needed to step in and launch this direct service and we are absolutely thrilled and excited with Norse’s decision! The potential of this route is huge, with  the presence of one of the largest Greek-American communities in California being an additional  key factor for its success.”

Additionally,  Los Angeles is not the only development by Norse at Athens in Summer 2025. In addition to the new route, Norse added 1 more weekly frequency on its ATH-JFK route, now operating 6/7 and extended the season by 2.5 months as flights started on the 15th of April and will run up to 30th of November. When asked by the media during the Press Conference, whether Norse plans to operate the Athens-New York route year-round, Founder and CEO Mr Bjørn Tore Larsen stated “There are thoughts about year-round service. But it depends on demand and profitability. The season is getting longer, so it might happen.” Overall Norse will operate this Summer 10 weekly frequencies from Athens, from 5 weekly last Summer. At the same time, total frequencies to the US from Athens will increase 103 weekly from 82 last Summer and from just 46 back in 2019.

During the Press Conference, Norse stated that they are already employing over 100 Athens based Cabin Crew, with that number to increase moving forward. In addition, the airline is planning to further strength its crew footprint at Athens, as additional routes from Athens are evaluated.

“Despite global challenges, demand from the American market is strong,” said Papadopoulou, “as in the first four months of 2025, passenger traffic to and from US is up 14 percent year-on-year, with airline seat capacity rising by 10 percent.”