Spanish domestic flights linking the mainland with the Canary Islands are to be introduced by budget carrier Norwegian this winter.
The airline is starting services from Madrid to Gran Canaria and Tenerife North; from Barcelona to Gran Canaria, Tenerife North and Fuerteventura; and from Malaga to Gran Canaria and Tenerife South.
Fares for the flights, which start on October 25, lead in at €39.50 one-way.
Norwegian will offer 10,416 seats a week – amounting to 230,000 over the winter – into the Canary Islands.
The carrier said this will help reverse a downward trend connectivity the islands have suffered over the last few years.
Norwegian claimed that it will be the first airline to offer free wi-fi connection on board Spanish domestic flights.
The airline said air capacity between the mainland and the islands had dropped by 16.4% to 7.55 million seats between 2011 and last year with average fares rising by more than 10%.
Unveiling the expansion yesterday, CEO Bjørn Kjos said: “Norwegian offers 133 routes in and out of 15 Spanish airports, of which six are operating bases, and employs almost 900 people in the country. One-fifth of our entire fleet is based here. The launch of this first batch of seven domestic routes makes our commitment to Spain all the more evident.”
“What’s more, today’s launch is first and foremost a move for the public good, for it will help reverse the trend whereby the market between the Continent and the Canaries was suffering a constant reduction in capacity with a commensurate increase in the price of air fares.
“In that way, our move into the Spanish domestic market will bring about better service, lower fares and therefore more choices in the benefit of the Spanish consumers.”