Norwegian airline Widerøe is to launch direct flights from Stansted to the southern Norwegian city of Kristiansand, a gateway for activities including elk safaris, white water rafting and salmon fishing.

The flights, to be operated with a 78-seater Dash-8 Q400 aircraft from Stansted to Kjevik Airport, will begin on August 13, 2018 and are on sale now.

Stein Nilsen, chief executive at Widerøe, said: “We know that London is always in high demand amongst Norwegian travellers and see enormous potential for growing inbound tourism and opening travel links for Brits travelling to southern Norway and Kristiansand.”

Mats Sigurdson, aviation director at Stansted Airport added: “I’m sure this news will be welcomed by Norwegian travellers wishing to visit London and the east of England, as well as the Norwegian community living in the UK.

“This makes a beautiful region of Norway more accessible to British travellers and we’re pleased Widerøe chose to operate to London Stansted Airport.”

Heidi Sørvig, chief executive at the destination marketing organisation USUS, one of the tourism bodies in the Sørlandet (southern Norway) region, said: “A London service has been highly requested in the region for many years and will open up tourism links and business opportunities in the region.

“Southern Norway offers many fantastic travel products and experiences that we are looking forward to introducing to British travellers. One of them is the largest underwater restaurant in the world, set to open in 2019, which we believe will be a world class attraction and of great interest to British visitors.”