Danish low-cost carrier Primera Air is to start operating non-stop flights from Stansted and Birmingham to the US next year.
Primera has announced that it will open a base at Stansted and start daily year-round flights to New York’s Newark airport in April 2018, followed by a route to Boston Logan airport in May 2018.
The flights will be the first scheduled services from Stansted to the US in nine years. Primera will use new Airbus A321neo aircraft on the Stansted routes with economy and premium cabins.
Primera is also to open a base at Birmingham airport offering daily flights to Newark and four per week to Boston from May and June 2018 respectively - United last week decided to cancel its route from Birmingham to Newark from October 2017.
Primera Air will also operate transatantic flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle from next year.
Andri Ingolfsson, Primera Air’s president and chairman, said: “We are very proud to announce our new base at Stansted and routes to the US. With our brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft, we are opening routes previously traditionally served only by wide-body aircraft.”
Primera Air, which is based in Denmark and Latvia, is part of the Primera Travel Group and currently operates flights to 70 destinations in Europe.
The airline is planning to announce a further transatlantic route from Stansted later this year.
Andrew Cowan, Stansted’s CEO, added: “We know from our customers that there is enormous demand for flights to New York and Boston from London and the east of England.
“The arrival of Primera Air is fantastic news for both business and leisure passengers wanting great value, excellent service and the convenience of flying transatlantic from their local airport.”
Both of Primera’s transatlantic routes from Stansted have gone on sale today (July 20) with prices from £149 one-way including taxes.