Press release —
Norwegian Group with strong third quarter results
The Norwegian Group today reports an operating result of NOK 2,728 million for the third quarter of 2026. The figures demonstrate the group’s ability to deliver strong financial results underpinned by a focus on cost control and robust operational performance in the busiest travel season of the year.
For the third quarter of 2026, Norwegian Group delivered an operating result (EBIT) of NOK 2,728 million, corresponding to an operating margin of 21.4 percent. Profit before tax (EBT) amounted to NOK 2,520 million for the quarter. The liquidity position was NOK 11.2 billion at quarter-end, up NOK 0.7 billion from the end of the third quarter of 2025, after the final repayment of the company’s last outstanding bond in September.
“The third quarter was characterised by strong operational performance across the group during the peak summer travel season and a continued focus on cost control. Widerøe continues to uphold world class punctuality, now five months in a row, and was highlighted by Cirium in July. Norwegian was named among Europe’s top five punctual airlines in both August and September. This highlights the great work across both airlines with the continued focus on operational performance. While the current macroeconomic climate is uncertain, booking trends remain encouraging with the number of sold tickets significantly higher than at the same time last year,” says Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
The Norwegian Group had 8.75 million passengers in the third quarter, of which 7.64 million were passengers of Norwegian and 1.1 million of Widerøe. Capacity (ASK) for Norwegian increased by 5 percent in the third quarter, while Widerøe’s capacity increased by 2 percent. The quarterly load factor for Norwegian was 88.5 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year. For Widerøe, the quarterly load factor was 76.1 percent.
Punctuality, share of flights departing on schedule, showed solid improvements for both airlines. Punctuality improved to 80.7 percent for Norwegian, up 2.9 percentage points from last year, and to 93.5 percent for Widerøe, up 1.7 percentage points. Regularity was 99.3 percent and 97.9 percent, respectively, with regularity at both airlines negatively impacted by the air traffic controller strike in Norway in August.
Norwegian Reward reaches milestone
In September, Norwegian Reward introduced five new status levels, simplifying how frequent flyers track and earn benefits with Norwegian and Widerøe. The update unlocks tailored benefits for every level, supporting the award-winning loyalty programme as it surpassed 10 million members.
“Surpassing 10 million members in Norwegian Reward is a major milestone, and the introduction of five new status levels together with our joint loyalty platform Spenn further strengthens our offering across the Nordics,” says Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
Looking ahead into the upcoming winter season, Norwegian has reduced monthly capacity by between 25 and 40 percent compared to October 2026. Production for the winter season is forecasted to increase marginally compared to the same period last year.
The forecasted production (ASK) is for the full year of 2026, is 2 percent for both Norwegian and Widerøe. Norwegian is progressing well with its profitability initiatives under Program X, which are on track to deliver annual recurring underlying profit improvements more than NOK 1.25 billion by the end of 2026. Underlying unit cost excluding fuel for Norwegian is forecasted to remain unchanged in 2026 compared to 2025.
The Norwegian Group fleet comprised 148 aircraft at quarter-end, with 98 aircraft in the Norwegian fleet, including 39 latest-technology Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft following the delivery of three new aircraft during the quarter, and 50 in the Widerøe fleet.
The regulatory process for the acquisition of Nordic Leisure Travel Group (NLTG) is progressing as planned, and subject to EU competition clearance, the transaction is still targeted to close by year-end.
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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.
