Norwegian’s passengers donate more than £40,000 to UNICEF in first month of new online initiative

Press release -

Norwegian’s passengers donate more than £40,000 to UNICEF in first month of new online initiative

As low-cost airline Norwegian continues its busiest ever summer in the UK, passengers have been in generous mood by donating more than £40,000 to UNICEF’s work for children all over the world.

Norwegian extended its partnership with UNICEF last month by launching a new function that allows passengers to donate funds when purchasing their flights online - within six weeks of launch, £40,888 has already been donated to UNICEF.

The online donation technologyfrom IT company Amadeus means that a simple click when finishing their ticket purchase is all it takes for passengers to donate a small amount to UNICEF - customers will have the option to donate £3, £5, £10 or £15 when they book their tickets.

Three pounds is enough to provide a mosquito net, which will protect new-borns against malaria, and £5 enables UNICEF to vaccinate 37 children against polio. UNICEF can provide an entire class of 27 students with books for £10, while £15 is enough to buy 42 packets of therapeutic food – enough for a two-week treatment for a malnourished child.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said: “I would like to thank all of our wonderful passengers for their generosity so far this summer. More than £40,000 donated in just 6 weeks shows that if passengers contribute even a small amount, it can make a huge difference in helping give children all over the world a better future.”

Secretary General Bernt G. Apeland of UNICEF Norway: "This shows that Norwegian's customers want to contribute to making the world a better place for children. But it also shows that it is easier to support our work when it is easy to make donations, the way Amadeus and Norwegian have enabled customers to contribute online. I would like to thank both companies and all customers for their contribution.”

Norwegian and UNICEF have had a signature partnership since 2007 with Norwegian introducing a number of initiatives to support UNICEF’s work. These include arranging fundraisers onboard and last year the airline filled a Boeing 737 with emergency aid to the Central African Republic. Additionally, Norwegian donates money to UNICEF as an alternative to giving its employees a Christmas present.

Media Contacts:

Norwegian: pressuk@norwegian.com/ 020 3824 4890

UNICEF: Communications Specialist Helene Sandbu Ryeng, + 47 994 06 730

Topics

Categories

Norwegian in the UK:

Norwegian now flies to 34 short and long haul destinations from the UK

Norwegian has grown to become the third largest airline at Gatwick and also operates from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports

Norwegian is having its busiest ever summer in the UK with over one million passengers between July and September and over 500 flights per week to and from UK airports 

Norwegian was recently voted Best Low Cost Airline in Europe and World’s Best Low-Cost Long Haul Airline at the SkyTrax World Airline Awards voted for by the travelling public

Contacts

For journalists only

For journalists only

Press contact Norwegian Press Office +47 815 11 816
Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Press contact Marketing/sponsorship requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Norwegian.com

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2023, the airline had 3.3 million passengers and a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 45 Bombardier Dash 8’s and three Embraer E190-E2's. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.

The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.

Norwegian
Norwegian UK