Norwegian Air flying to Caribbean from BWI

Norwegian Air Shuttle announced two new international flights to Caribbean destinations from Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Thursday.

The discount long-haul airliner will fly two round-trips a week from BWI to the Guadeloupe Islands and Martinique. These mark the sixth and seventh international routes from the airport to be added at the airport in 2015.

“With these new and exciting routes, Norwegian will offer customers in the Northeast nonstop flights to two of the most idyllic islands in the Caribbean,” Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos said. “Norwegian is fully committed to the U.S. market and we will continue to expand by offering more great nonstop destinations to American travelers and growing our U.S. crew bases.”

Flights to Guadeloupe Island will operate on Tuesday and Saturdays and Wednesdays and Sundays to Martinique. The introductory fare for a one way ticket from the U.S. is $79 and flights back to the states are set at $99. The Seasonal service is scheduled to begin on Dec. 4.

So far this year BWI has experienced a surge in international travel. The number of international passengers in the first four months of the year was up 22.5 percent from the same time last year.

Norwegian is the third airline to add international flights at BWI this year. WOW air started service to Iceland in the May. Sunwing also offers flights to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island and to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The airport, to make way for increased international travel, has started construction on a connection between Concourse D and Concourse E. This will provide a new security checkpoint for domestic and international passengers, and it will also provide additional gates for flights out of the country.

“This announcement further enhances our presence in the international marketplace,” BWI CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said. “Norwegian is a premier, global low-cost airline that is adding more choices and more flight options for our passengers. We continue working aggressively to boost international service.”