Norse to operate special flight for England football fans to watch World Cup semi-final
Norse Atlantic Airways has announced that it will operate a one-off flight from London Gatwick to Atlanta on 14 July. The special flight is being laid on to enable English football fans to make a last-minute 4,339-mile dash to watch England play Argentina in the FIFA 2026 World Cup semi-final, which kicks off at 15:00 local time on 15 July in the US city.
Norse to operate a special World Cup flight to Atlanta
After England’s quarter-final victory against Norway on 12 July, Norse Atlantic Airways announced that it would operate the dedicated flight from London Gatwick (LGW) to Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson Airport (ATL), giving English supporters the chance to follow their team against Argentina in the semi-final on 15 July.
The special flight is to be operated by one of Norse’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, offering 338 seats in total – 56 in premium class and 282 in economy. The flight is due to leave from London Gatwick at 19:40 on 14 July, arriving in Atlanta at 23:30.
The return flight will leave after the semi-final match, leaving Atlanta on 16 July at 22:30 and arriving back at Gatwick at 11:25 local time on 17 July.
At the time of writing, seats in premium class had all sold out for the return journey, although return seats in economy were still available, priced at £1,230 per person.
“We have spent the past weeks helping Norwegian fans follow their team across the United States,” said Eivind Roald, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways. “After England’s win [against Norway], it felt completely natural to offer English supporters the same opportunity. Gatwick is one of our largest airports, and we want to help make the semi-final journey possible for as many fans as we can.”
Norse had, under its ‘Airline on Demand’ model, been operating special charter flights for Norwegian football fans throughout the tournament.
“These flights are not just about getting from one airport to another. They are about bringing supporters together. We have seen how powerful that can be for Norwegian fans, and we want England supporters to feel that the semi-final starts the moment they step on board,” Roald added.
Norse steps up for England football fans
According to an airline statement, although Norway’s World Cup journey ended at the hands of England last weekend, the connection between Norwegian and English football remains strong.
“Generations of Norwegians have grown up watching English football on television, following English clubs and travelling to matches in the UK. For many Norwegian fans, English football has been part of their football upbringing,” said the statement.
While the airline added that it would have loved to see its national side go through and beat England in the quarter-final, it said that there is “something special” about England being in the semi-final. Referring to the strong football ties between Norway and England, the airline said that it was keen to support the England team in its quest for glory during the semi-final.
The Norse Atlantic Airways operation today
Norse currently operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, although five are currently on long-term wet-lease with Indian airline IndiGo.
The remainder are used to operate both scheduled and charter services to a range of destinations, including New York (JFK), Rome (FCO), Athens (ATH), London (LGW), Los Angeles (LAX), Orlando (MCO), Oslo (OSL), Stockholm (ARL), Bangkok (BKK) and Phuket (HKT).
Although the special Norse flight will depart from London Gatwick Airport, 1.97 million passengers travelled through Heathrow Airport to North America in June, up 1.2% year-on-year. The airport attributed this increase to fans travelling for the World Cup games throughout North America.
