By Liv Clarke
Manchester Airport has announced a new direct route to Bangkok in Thailand – the first airport outside of London to do so. Norse Atlantic Airways will launch the flights in November this year, running a weekly service until March. Tickets have gone on sale today, July 3, for the new route which will operate on a Boeing 797-9. Return tickets start from 拢489. Bangkok is the world鈥檚 most-visited city, welcoming 32.4million visitors in 2024 according to the Global Tourism Forum. Its popularity is driven by its rich culture, nightlife and good value for money 鈥 as well as being a good starting or end point for travelling around the wider region. Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here The announcement follows the launch of direct flights to Mumbai from Manchester earlier this week, operated by India鈥檚 biggest airline IndiGo. Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: 鈥淗ere at Manchester Airport we鈥檙e proud to connect the North to the world. Bangkok is one of the most exciting destinations on the planet 鈥 and is rightly one of the most popular. 鈥淢any people from the region travel there every year but until now they have had to book connecting flights. This new route will make a huge difference by meaning people can get there directly from the UK鈥檚 global gateway in the North. 鈥淚t will also be a great opportunity for the region to welcome people coming here from Thailand to experience our vibrant cities, enjoy our spectacular scenery, study in our elite universities and even watch our football clubs 鈥 which are almost as popular in Thailand as they are here. 鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to working with Norse Atlantic Airways to deliver this route later this year and I can鈥檛 wait to welcome its first passengers. 鈥淭his is a really exciting time for Manchester Airport, with the launch of the North鈥檚 only direct route to Mumbai earlier this week 鈥 and with our 拢1.3bn transformation programme entering its final stages ahead of completion later this year. 鈥淚t means not only are we offering people services to the destinations they want to travel to 鈥 but we鈥檙e doing so in an airport that rivals any across Europe.鈥 The new service from Manchester to Bangkok will launch on 26 November and run weekly through the winter until March 2026. Bangkok is most popular over the winter months as the summer is monsoon season. Commenting on the route, Bj酶rn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways, said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just follow demand 鈥 we unlock it. This route has been waiting to happen, and we鈥檙e proud to be the ones making it a reality. 鈥淢anchester is a key gateway to the North of England, and Bangkok is a magnet for adventure, business, and culture. Connecting the two cities is a natural next step for Norse as we continue to disrupt and expand in the long-haul space.鈥 Manchester Airport鈥檚 additions to its destination list come as the airport nears a major milestone later this year when its 拢1.3bn transformation programme is due to be completed. The brand-new Terminal 2 is double the size of the previous terminal and has already won the prestigious Prix Versailles for design and architecture. When it is fully open later this year it will cater for around 70per cent of the airport鈥檚 passengers. For more of the latest What’s On news, click here.