Norwegian to open new route to Oakland near San Francisco, California
From spring 2017, Norwegian will be opening up its ninth direct route from Copenhagen to the USA – this time to the city of Oakland near San Francisco, California. The new route will mean even more American tourists visiting Denmark as well as more Danes travelling to the USA.
“The Danes have really taken to our long-haul routes, and a good many of our flights have been chock-full,” says Norwegian chief commercial officer Thomas Ramdahl.
The new route to Oakland will start up on 27 March next year, with flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays. As well as giving Danish holiday-makers and companies even more travel opportunities, the route will also bring more Americans to Denmark.
More Americans to Denmark
“Many Americans want to visit the largest European cities such as London, Paris and Rome, but it’s perfectly clear that the US routes to Copenhagen are full of tourists who want to experience Copenhagen’s gastronomy, design and sights. Norwegian sees huge potential in bringing more Americans and other tourists to Denmark, which means both growth and job creation in the country,” says Thomas Ramdahl.
At Copenhagen Airport, chief commercial officer Peter Krogsgaard sees good prospects for the new route – both for travellers and for society. Typically, Americans make up more than 40% of travellers on Norwegian’s routes between the USA and Copenhagen.
New route worth DKK 42 million
“As well as giving Danish holiday-makers and business travellers a brand-new opportunity for easily getting to the West Coast of the USA, Norwegian’s new route will also mean even more Americans travelling to Denmark. This will create growth and jobs, not least in the tourism industry,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
At the same time, Denmark’s international connectivity will also be improved, which will help to increase the country’s overall prosperity, stresses Peter Krogsgaard.
“A study by DAMVAD Analytics has shown that international air routes create prosperity in Denmark. A route such as this one from Oakland to Copenhagen will contribute a total of around DKK 42 million to Denmark’s GDP,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
The new route means that Norwegian will be flying to a total of nine destinations in the USA from Copenhagen: JFK in New York, Los Angeles and Oakland in California, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Saint Croix in the US Virgin Islands, Las Vegas and Boston.
Facts:
* Oakland is one of many cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a total of 7 million residents.
* Oakland was founded in 1852 and today has 400,000 residents. Just north of Oakland lies the university city of Berkeley. West of Oakland – a short drive over the Bay Bridge – lies San Francisco.
* Oakland is home to the US football team Oakland Raiders, which plays in the NFL.
* Oakland International Airport served 11 million passengers last year. There is a fast train link to the centre of San Francisco.