Norwegian reports continued passenger growth in October

Press release - 6 November 2018 07:04

Norwegian reports continued passenger growth in October

An increasing number of passengers choose to fly with Norwegian. The company carried a total of almost 3.4 million passengers in October, an increase of 8 percent compared to the same month the previous year.

Norwegian carried3,388,898 passengers in October, an increase of 240,387 passengers (8 percent) compared to the same month last year. The total traffic growth (RPK) increased by 25 percent this month, driven by a 29 percent capacity growth (ASK). The load factor was 85 percent.

“We are very pleased that an increasing number of passengers choose Norwegian for their travels. The long-haul routes represent the largest growth this month and the demand is satisfactory. However, we are now entering a period of lower demand, tough competition and high oil prices, making it even more important for the company to continue reducing its costs,”said CEO Bjørn Kjos of Norwegian.

In general, the yield development is positive, but is negatively affected by the fact that the company now operates a greater number of longer flights than the same month last year. As the revenue per passenger kilometer is lower on longer flights the company’s total yield falls when the share of long-haul flights increases.

Norwegian operated 99.4 percent of the scheduled flights in October, of which 79.7 percent departed on time, up 1.4 percentage points compared to the same month last year.
Norwegian’s fleet renewal program continues in 2018. The company took delivery of two Boeing 737 MAX 8 this month. In total, Norwegian will take delivery of 11 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners,12 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and two Boeing 737-800 aircraft this year. With an average age of only 3.7 years, Norwegian’s fleet is one of the world’s “greenest” and most modern. The single most important action an airline can take to reduce its environmental footprint, is to invest in new aircraft and new technology.

Please find traffic figures report in the attached pdf.

Topics

Categories

Traffic figures

Norwegian in the UK and Ireland:

Norwegian carries 5.8 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 50 destinations worldwide
Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 1,000 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 Singapore
In 2017, Norwegian also launched affordable transatlantic flights from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon to the US East Coast, using the brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations
The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.7 years, 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 and 2018
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

Contacts

For journalists only

For journalists only

Press contact Norwegian Press Office press@norwegian.com +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.

Norwegian