Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) will deploy up to eight A321neo(LR)s to its London Gatwick hub with effect from 2020. According to Reuters, airline chief executive Bjorn Kjos told a media gathering ahead of its FY2017 results presentation that the narrowbody jets would be used to develop thinner routes to US East Coast and Midwestern cities such as Detroit Metropolitan, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Philadelphia International.

Norwegian will also consider using the aircraft to open up new routes to the Middle East where Kuwait and Jordan are strong potential destinations.

Turning to other growth plans for its Gatwick hub, Kjos said Norwegian had been courted by unspecified South American states to develop routes there.

"We're being invited to set up long-haul routes into (South American) countries and domestic operations into the same countries, like a copycat of what we are doing in Argentina," he said.

Norwegian, through its Norwegian UK (London Gatwick) unit, is also looking to expand its Asian connectivity out of Gatwick beyond the current Singapore Changi service. Should it gain access to Russia's trans-Siberian corridors, Norwegian would look to offer flights to Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong, and Tokyo Narita, Kjos added.