Norwegian appreciates support from the Norwegian Government

Press release -

Norwegian appreciates support from the Norwegian Government

Norwegian is pleased to announce that the government of Norway has decided to support and contribute to the airline’s funding of new capital, pending certain conditions. This move significantly increases Norwegian’s chances of working through the crisis caused by the pandemic and to position itself as a key player within Norwegian and European aviation.

“On behalf of everyone at Norwegian, I would like to sincerely thank the government for their support. Norwegian has been faced with a very challenging and demanding situation due to the pandemic, and the government’s support significantly increases our chances of raising new capital and getting us through the reconstruction process we are currently in. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but a participation from the government underscores that we are heading in the right direction,” said Norwegian CEO, Jacob Schram.

Norwegian entered into an Irish examinership process and a supplementary reconstruction negotiation in Norway late last year. On January 14, 2021, the airline presented a new business plan (LINK) based on a simplified business structure with a focus on a European route network and discontinuing its long-haul operations, as well as significantly reducing its debt. The plan comprises a fleet of around 50 aircraft in operation this year, and to gradually increase to approximately 70 aircraft in 2022, pending demand and potential travel restrictions. The debt will be reduced to around NOK 20 billion, and the company will raise four to five billion NOK in new capital.

“With a new business plan, and a participation from the government, we are confident we can attract investors and get through the Examinership and reconstruction process. We have received extensive support from political parties, customers, colleagues, shareholders, and business partners, for which we are extremely grateful, especially during these challenging times. Furthermore, the government’s support will contribute to help securing jobs and maintain healthy competition within the aviation sector,” added Schram.

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About Norwegian

Norwegian was founded in 1993 but began operating as a low-cost carrier with Boeing 737 aircraft in 2002. Since then, our mission has been to offer affordable fares for all and to allow customers to travel the smart way by offering value and choice throughout their journey.

Norwegian has been voted Europe’s Best Low-Cost airline by Skytrax for six consecutive years and won Airline Program of the Year Europe & Africa at the Freddie Awards for four consecutive years. Since 2012, Norwegian has won over 55 awards for our service, product, and innovation in the industry.

We were the first airline in the world to join the UN Climate Secretariat’s climate action-initiative in 2019, pledging to work systematically to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Norwegian operates a short haul network across the Nordics and to key European destinations providing customers with excellent quality at affordable fares.

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.

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