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Press release -

Norwegian March traffic figures heavily influenced by COVID-19 measures

The global outbreak of COVID-19 that took hold across the aviation industry throughout March has heavily influenced Norwegian´s traffic figures. The company experienced a dramatic drop in demand following government-imposed travel restrictions and a general travel decline.

Norwegian immediately responded to this global change in demand and adapted its flight schedule several times during the month. The first step was to cut approximately 15 percent of planned capacity on March 10, this was then reevaluated and adjusted to up to 85 percent of planned capacity from March 16 with most cancellations starting from March 25. Capacity was 40 percent lower than planned while the flights that were operated had a load factor of 72 percent, down 13.8 percentage points compared to the same month previous year.

Compared to the same period last year total capacity (ASK) decreased by 53 percent while total passenger traffic (RPK) decreased by 60 percent. The total number of customers carried in March was 1,153,283, a decrease of 61 percent.

In March, Norwegian operated 77 percent of scheduled flights, multiple rescue flights and continued to maintain a critical regional flying infrastructure.

Jacob Schram, CEO of Norwegian, said: “The speed of the COVID-19 global outbreak throughout March had a profound impact on the entire Norwegian network as cancellations, in line with global travel advice and falling demand, were implemented throughout the month. Norwegian operated multiple rescue flights on behalf of the government to ensure that thousands of Scandinavian passengers could safely return home. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our dedicated colleagues, our customers and members of the public for their continued support. We will provide further financial and business updates to the Oslo Børs when it is appropriate to do so.”

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Norwegian in the UK and Ireland:

  • Norwegian carries almost 6 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 30 destinations worldwide
  • Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and over 1,200 UK-based pilots and cabin crew
  • In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 11 U.S destinations, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro from London Gatwick
  • Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations and 13 long-haul destinations.
  • The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737-800s
  • Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for six consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2018, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
  • Norwegian Reward is the airline's free to join award-winning loyalty programme offering members CashPoints and Rewards that reduce the cost of Norwegian flights

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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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