Norse Atlantic Airways is adding a nonstop route from London Gatwick to Phuket this winter: three flights a week on a Boeing 787-9, listed to start on 4 December 2026. With Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow service also on the route, UK agents will have two scheduled nonstops to Phuket in the high season. Explera DMC Thailand explains what is confirmed and how to sell it.
Explera handles ground arrangements as a Thailand DMC for travel agents. Its Thai company, Explera DMC Co., Ltd., holds TAT licence 14/05119, the Tourism Business Licence issued by the Department of Tourism, and the group is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and a member of ASTA (900408341). Write to b2b@explera.co.th.
What has Norse announced for Gatwick–Phuket?
Norse announced the route in June as part of a larger Thailand programme for winter 2026/27. At that point the airline gave no start date. Schedule data published later lists the first flight on 4 December 2026, three times a week, on the Boeing 787-9.
Two details are not yet settled across the reporting. The operating days differ slightly from one report to another, and so does the end of the season: one report runs the route to mid-April 2027, while others give no end date. Check both in the booking system before you print a programme, and do not promise a return date late in the season until the flight is on sale for that date.
What else is Norse adding to Thailand?
The same announcement raises Manchester–Bangkok from one flight a week to four from 5 December 2026, and schedule data shows Gatwick–Bangkok running up to five times a week at the peak. Our Europe–Thailand nonstop flights briefing has the earlier picture for Manchester and the other European routes. One carrier now serves both of Thailand's main long-haul gateways from London. That makes a twin-centre file, Bangkok and the Andaman coast, easier to build around nonstop flights. Whether the two routes can be combined on one booking, in to Phuket and home from Bangkok, is a question for the airline or your consolidator.
How does it sit beside Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow?
Virgin Atlantic's own three-weekly Heathrow–Phuket service was scheduled to start on 18 October 2026, which our Virgin Atlantic Heathrow–Phuket briefing covers. Phuket is also served by TUI charter flights from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. The Norse route adds a scheduled, seat-only option from Gatwick, which suits clients in the south and south-east of England who would rather not cross London to Heathrow.
The two airlines sell differently. Norse sells its fares in tiers, so check what your client's fare includes, bags and meals in particular, before you compare prices.
What does this mean for a Phuket or Andaman programme?
December to March is the dry season on the Andaman coast and the busiest part of the Phuket year, so the new seats arrive when hotels are fullest. Hold rooms early for December and the new year weeks. Plan the arrival day after an overnight flight as a rest day, and check the arrival time against the hotel's check-in time so you know whether an early check-in is needed.
Phuket also works as a gateway rather than an end point. Khao Lak, Phang Nga Bay and Krabi are all reachable by road or boat, and a split stay adds value to a two-week trip. Our Phuket destination guide covers the island, and our transport team can arrange the airport transfer and the onward road or sea legs. A Thailand DMC on the ground is most useful on exactly these connections, where a delayed flight changes everything that follows.
Next steps
Send your Thailand DMC the dates, the number of travellers and the flights your clients are holding, through the contact page. We return one package price for the ground arrangements, and the rest of what we do is on our Thailand DMC services page. UK agencies can also read how we work with them on our United Kingdom page.
Sources
- TTG Media: Norse Atlantic to launch direct Gatwick-Phuket service this coming winter
- AeroRoutes: Norse UK expands Thailand service in NW26
Frequently asked questions
When does Norse Atlantic start flying from Gatwick to Phuket?
Schedule data lists the first flight on 4 December 2026. Confirm the date in the booking system, because the airline did not give a start date when it first announced the route.
How often will the flights operate?
Three times a week, on a Boeing 787-9. Reports differ slightly on the operating days and on when the season ends, so check both before you build a programme.
Is this the only nonstop from London to Phuket?
No. Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow service, scheduled from 18 October 2026, also runs three times a week, and TUI operates charter flights to Phuket from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. Norse adds a scheduled seat-only option from Gatwick.
Can clients fly into Phuket and home from Bangkok?
Norse serves both Phuket and Bangkok from Gatwick this winter, so the routing exists. Whether it can be sold on one booking is a question for the airline or your consolidator. We can arrange the domestic leg or the overland connection on the ground.
