As Routes Europe closes on May 20th, it seems fitting that United Airlines' brand-new Newark to Bergen service begins on the same day. It is Bergen's only long-haul route and the first time since October 2018 that the Norwegian city is connected non-stop to the US. It also marks United's return to Norway.

United to Bergen

The day has arrived. At 20:40 Eastern US time on May 20th, United will take off from Newark, its leading transatlantic airport, to Bergen. United last served Norway in September 2016, when its Newark-Oslo service ended. Between then and now, it relegated the country to fellow Star Alliance member SAS.

Now it is back in Norway. The 3x weekly Bergen operation is, as you'd expect, highly summer-seasonal. It'll run for just 19 weeks, with the last departure back to the US on September 27th. All flights are by 169-seat B757-200s. The schedule is as follows, with all times local:

  • Newark to Bergen: UA270, 20:40-10:05+1 (7h 25m block time); Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
  • Bergen to Newark: UA271, 11:55-14:25 (8h 30m); Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays (note that the first return flight is on Sunday, 22nd, with the aircraft and crew in Norway for nearly 26 hours)
United Airlines Bergen launch
Preparing for the launch. Photo: James Pearson - Simple Flying.

Avinor's comments

The operator of Bergen Airport is Avinor, whose portfolio includes 44 airports across the country. Avinor's Gaute Riise, Vice President of Traffic Development, spoke of this launch and many others from Norway, including four US routes with Norse Atlantic:

Our focus is on rebuilding a sustainable route portfolio for our airports. The world is at an underlying stage with geopolitical turmoil and a pandemic that restricts some markets. But the market for inbound tourism is expected to be strong [helped by Norway having no COVID restrictions]

Boeing_757-200_(United_Airlines)_(5797254074)
Flightradar24 shows that N19141 will operate the first trip to Bergen. It arrives in Newark from Dublin at 16:10. Photo: Craig Sunter via Flickr.

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The US is an important tourist market

The US was Norway's third-largest non-Nordic country for international tourists in 2019, behind only the UK and Germany. Bergen is an important tourist center, gateway to the fjords, and a UNESCO World Heritage City.

Read more: A Look At United’s 2022 Transatlantic Schedule

United will be able to connect Bergen to New York and 32 airports across the US and Canada. That's based on analyzing connections with a maximum four-hour wait and flying no more than 40% out of your way. Many, albeit smaller, places now have a one-stop option to Bergen.

Where connects with United's Bergen service
North American connections for United's Bergen service. Image: GCMap.

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A look at the market

If point-to-point demand is added to demand from these 32, booking data shows there's a market of approximately 80,000 passengers, based on 2019 numbers. (For this article, this doesn't include traffic from the US over Bergen through Norway with SAS and Widerøe.)

Of the 80,000, around 40% traveled between July-September, and New York was, not surprisingly, the single largest market.

United had only a tiny share of the ~80,000 passengers, those connecting to it from SAS. And with 18,928 seats for sale, United is clearly not trying to capture much of the market, reducing risk.

What is your view of the route? Let us know in the comments.