Manchester Airport and Norse Atlantic Airways have announced that flights between the UK’s global gateway in the North and Bangkok will quadruple in frequency from December. The seasonal service launched in November 2025 and has proven popular, with more than 10,000 passengers taking advantage of a direct link between Manchester Airport and one of the world’s most popular tourism hotspots.
The Manchester to Bangkok service will increase to a four-times-weekly schedule – here’s when flights will operate
Once-weekly flights ran between last November and March, spanning Bangkok’s winter dry season, the most popular time of year to visit. Due to high demand, Norse Atlantic Airways has confirmed that the service will increase to a four-times-weekly schedule for this winter, with the first flight operating on 5 December 2026 and the final flight of the season on 18 April 2027.
Flights outbound from Manchester will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, using Norse Atlantic Airways’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Why is Bangkok so popular?
Bangkok’s popularity is driven by its rich culture, nightlife and good value for money, as well as its role as a convenient starting or end point for travel around Thailand or South East Asia due to its excellent route network. Thailand’s coastline has featured in Hollywood films such as The Beach, while northern towns like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai attract backpackers with their temples, street food and surrounding jungles.
Quadrupling the number of weekly flights “means passengers heading to Thailand will have more choice than ever.”
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “Manchester Airport is proud to connect the North to the world with a route network unrivalled by any UK airport outside London. It’s great to see Norse’s Bangkok route not only returning this winter – but returning with quadruple the number of weekly flights. It means passengers heading to Thailand will have more choice than ever.
“Bangkok is one of the world’s most-visited cities, so we knew this route would be popular – but this expansion of Norse’s service really demonstrates the demand for long-haul travel from the UK’s global gateway in the North. I’m looking forward to flights resuming later this year.”
Eivind Roald, Chief Executive Officer at Norse Atlantic Airways, said: “We are delighted to see such a strong response to our Manchester–Bangkok service. Since launching last year, the route has proven highly popular with travellers across the North of England, and increasing to four weekly flights is a direct reflection of that demand.
“At Norse, we remain focused on deploying capacity where customers want to travel most, and Thailand continues to be one of the strongest-performing destinations in our network. We would like to thank Manchester Airport for its continued partnership, and our customers for choosing Norse. Their support gives us the confidence to continue investing in the region and expanding the travel options available from Manchester.”
Passengers flying to Bangkok with Norse Atlantic Airways this winter will experience Manchester Airport’s new Terminal 2 in full, with its £1.3bn, decade-long transformation due for completion this summer.