Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) has announced it will launch transatlantic routes from its second airport in Spain, Madrid Barajas, as well as from Milan Malpensa and Amsterdam Schiphol during the course of 2018.

Norwegian said in a statement it plans to operate 4x weekly services out of Madrid to Los Angeles International and 3x weekly to New York JFK, both commencing in mid-July 2018. Routes will be operated by crews and B787-9s based out of either American airport. It also intends to launch routes from Madrid to Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini and Córdoba International, Argentina, to be operated by its nascent Norwegian Air Argentina (Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery) unit.

Despite plans to operate a total of four transatlantic services from Madrid, the Scandinavian LCC will not, for the time being, open a base in the Spanish capital. It will, however, open a fourth American base in Los Angeles.

The Madrid expansion will be independent of operations at Barcelona El Prat from where Norwegian currently runs four transatlantic services; to New York Newark, Fort Lauderdale International, Los Angeles, and Oakland International. Airline spokesman Alfons Claver told the merca2 website that it plans to increase long-haul capacity out of the Catalan hub by 18% next year, mostly through the replacement of B787-8s with larger B787-9s.

In the same statement, Norwegian also announced the launch of 4x weekly flights from New York JFK to Amsterdam (starting on May 7) and 4x weekly services from Los Angeles to Milan Malpensa (starting on June 18). These longhaul services, which will be operated with B787-9s, are Norwegian's first out of either European airport.

Norwegian currently operates transatlantic services from each of London Gatwick, Paris CDG, Rome Fiumicino, Barcelona, Oslo Gardermoen, Copenhagen Kastrup and Stockholm Arlanda. Its Norwegian Air International (Dublin International) unit operates services to the United States from Dublin International, Edinburgh, Belfast International, Cork, Shannon and Bergen using a fleet of B737-800s and B737-8s.