Press release —
Norwegian Group with 2.8 million passengers in October
The Norwegian Group carried 2.8 million passengers in October, of which 2.4 million travelled with Norwegian and 395,000 with Widerøe. Norwegian had a load factor of 89.2 percent in October, while Widerøe reached 75.3 percent, marking the highest October load factor in both airlines' history. Alongside record high load factors, both carriers continued to deliver world-class punctuality.
"I am very pleased to see record high load factor for both Norwegian and Widerøe. The autumn holiday period was characterised by full flights and strong results, and I am proud of our colleagues around Europe for delivering solid punctuality during this busy travel season. Widerøe continues to uphold a world-class level in punctuality, which has become a hallmark of the operation this year," said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
Norwegian’s capacity (ASK) in October was 3,620 million seat kilometres, an increase of 5 percent compared with October 2025. Actual passenger traffic (RPK) was 3,229 million seat kilometres, an increase of 7 percent from the same period last year. The load factor was 89.2 percent, up 2.0 percentage points. Regularity, the share of scheduled flights that took place, was 99.5 percent. Punctuality, the share of flights departing within 15 minutes of scheduled time, was 83.7 percent. In October, Norwegian operated an average of 91 aircraft.
“Looking ahead, booking momentum for the winter season remains encouraging with significantly more tickets sold compared to the same time last year. Christmas holiday bookings are accelerating, and for those planning to travel over Christmas, we recommend securing your tickets as early as possible," said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
Widerøe’s capacity (ASK) was 196 million seat kilometres in October, unchanged from the previous year. Actual passenger traffic (RPK) was 147 million seat kilometres, up 3 percent from October 2025. The load factor was 75.3 percent, up 1.9 percentage points from last year. Punctuality was 93.3 percent, an increase of 4.6 percent from last year. Once again, this ranks Widerøe as one of the top airlines in the world on punctuality. Regularity was 96.8 percent in October.
"Overall, October was a very strong month for Widerøe. We continue to deliver punctuality at the very highest level, alongside achieving the highest October load factor in company history. Combined with improving booking momentum heading into the coming months, these traffic figures are promising,” said Tore Jenssen, CEO of Widerøe.
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About Norwegian
The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,900 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 5,200 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2025, Norwegian carried 23 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 95 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 3,700 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 2025, the airline had 4.1 million passengers and a fleet of 51 aircraft, including 48 Bombardier Dash 8s and three Embraer E190-E2s. 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.
