Primera Air has announced the launch of a fourth transatlantic route from London Stansted Airport.

East Anglian Daily Times: London Stansted chief exeucitve Ken OToole talking at Primera Airs launch event.London Stansted chief exeucitve Ken OToole talking at Primera Airs launch event. (Image: Tony Pick)

The low-cost carrier, which is already due to start flights from Stansted to New York and Boston in April and to Toronto in May, will now also operate to Washington Dulles airport from August 22.

There will be five direct flights a week between Stansted and Washington, with the frequency of flights on the Toronto route also being increased from three to five a week from August.

Ken O’Toole, chief executive at London Stansted, said: “The announcement Washington Dulles Airport is to join Primera Air’s existing long-haul schedule, plus increased frequency to Toronto, is a real vote of confidence in Stansted and of the demand for long-haul flights to and from London and the East of England.

“We’ve already seen a very positive response from passengers to Primera’s previous announcement of new services to New York, Boston and Toronto, and the addition of Washington will provide even more choice and connectivity to the east coast of the USA.

“We have made clear our ambition is to provide more services to the USA, and add routes to China and India, so this is another step towards that goal. We look forward to the launch of these exciting new services in the coming months.”

Andri Már Ingólfsson, president and owner of Primera Air, said: “We’ve been planning to add Washington from the beginning of the transatlantic flight project. We see a strong demand for this route and we are the first low-cost airline to start operations between both cities, offering people an affordable way of transatlantic travel.

“Our booking numbers show that passengers have been waiting for flights to North America. We are very satisfied with the results so far and are adjusting our flight network accordingly. Our low-fare transatlantic flights are possible thanks to the latest technology by Airbus and Boeing. We are only a few weeks away from receiving our first Airbus A321neo units, which will start operations in April.”

As announced previously, Primera Air is opening new a new base at London Stansted for flights to New York, Boston and Toronto along with new routes to Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Barcelona and Chania. Over the next two years, Primera Air plans to increase its presence on current bases and to add new transatlantic routes and bases, with the airline having 20 new Boeing MAX9-ER aircraft on order.