Norwegian’s passengers have donated £500,000 to UNICEF

In one year, Norwegian’s passengers have donated £500,000 / €680,000 to UNICEF’s work for children. The partnership between Norwegian, UNICEF and travel technology company Amadeus has made the donations possible.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said: "Thanks to our generous passengers we have been able to donate £500,000 to UNICEF’s important work for children. Children are the future, and together we can help make the world a better place for those who need it the most. By making it easier to donate, more people will contribute, and a small contribution from many passengers give more children the future they deserve.” 

Bernt G. Apeland, Executive Director of UNICEF Norway said: “The passengers’ donations make a difference for children worldwide. We see that travelers are keen to contribute, and when it is easy to donate, even more people want to support our work for children all over the world.”  

A simple click when finishing the online booking is all it takes for passengers to make a UNICEF donation. Customers will have the option to donate 3, 5, 10 or 15 euros when they book their tickets. Three euros is enough to provide a mosquito net, which will protect new-borns against malaria, and five euros enables UNICEF to vaccinate 37 children against polio. For 10 euros UNICEF can provide an entire class of 27 students with books, while 15 euros is enough to buy 42 packets of therapeutic food – enough for a two-week treatment for a malnourished child.

The IT Company Amadeus has created the donation technology.

Svend Leirvaag, Vice President Industry Affairs at Amadeus IT Group said: “The partnership with Norwegian and UNICEF is a part of our “Technology for Good” approach to CSR. We work with travel partners and humanitarian agencies free of charge, implementing Amadeus technology such as the donation engine. That way we can contribute to socially worthy outcomes greater than each of us can possibly achieve alone. We invite all our partners to consider joining us in similar initiatives.” 

Since 2007, Norwegian and UNICEF have had a signature partnership. Through this partnership, they have sent aircraft fully loaded with emergency aid and school supplies to the Central African Republic and to Syrian refugees in Jordan. Additionally, Norwegian supports UNICEF through travel funding and fundraisers, and all Norwegian employees donate their company Christmas presents to UNICEF.

Press Contacts:

Norwegian: VP Corporate Communications, Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen: +47 454 56 012
UNICEF: Truls Brekke: +47 951 07 878