Norwegian Air Shuttle facts for kids
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| Founded | 22 January 1993 |
|---|---|
| AOC # | NO.AOC.090 |
| Operating bases |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Norwegian Reward |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 87 (including subsidiaries) |
| Destinations | 105 |
| Headquarters | "Diamanten" Fornebu, Norway |
| Key people | |
| Revenue | $1.96 billion (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).) |
| Operating income | $156 million (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).) |
| Net income | $105 million (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).) |
| Total assets | $2.36 billion (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).) |
| Total equity | $437 million (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).) |
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, known simply as Norwegian, is a Norwegian low-cost airline. It is one of the biggest airlines in Scandinavia and Europe. Norwegian is known for its planes with white bodies, red noses, and cool pictures of famous people on their tail fins.
Norwegian's flights are operated by the main company and its part-owned company, Norwegian Air Sweden. Each of these airlines has its own special license to fly, but they share the same brand and look. In July 2023, Norwegian agreed to buy Widerøe, another Norwegian airline. This purchase was completed in January 2024.
Contents
The Story of Norwegian Air Shuttle
How Norwegian Started (1993–2001)
Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) began on January 22, 1993. It took over flights that another company, Busy Bee, used to fly for Braathens in Western Norway. Busy Bee had gone out of business. NAS started with three Fokker 50 planes, flying between cities like Bergen, Haugesund, Molde, Kristiansund, and Trondheim. The company was started by former Busy Bee employees and had about 50 people working there.
By 1999, Norwegian had six Fokker 50 planes and flew 500,000 passengers each year. In 2000, they added a seventh Fokker 50.
Becoming a Low-Cost Airline (2002–2009)
In 2002, Norwegian started flying routes on its own, not just for other airlines. When Braathens was bought by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), Norwegian's contracts were cancelled. This led Norwegian to become a low-cost carrier on busy routes in Norway. On September 1, 2002, the airline officially changed its name to Norwegian.
Norwegian also opened a base in Warsaw, Poland, flying to cities in Central Europe. In 2007, Norwegian bought a Swedish low-cost airline called FlyNordic. This made Norwegian the biggest low-cost airline in Scandinavia.
At first, Norwegian used older Boeing 737 planes. But on August 30, 2007, they ordered 42 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft. They ordered even more later, bringing their total order for new 737-800s to 78 planes. The first new 737-800 arrived in January 2008.
Growing Fast and Flying Far (2010–2017)
In 2010, Norwegian announced plans to start long-distance flights to places like New York City and Bangkok. For these longer flights, they needed bigger planes. On November 8, 2010, Norwegian announced they would lease two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
On January 25, 2012, Norwegian made a huge order for new planes. They ordered 22 Boeing 737-800s, 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and 100 Airbus A320neos. In late 2012, the airline opened a new base at London Gatwick Airport to fly to holiday spots in Europe.
By February 2017, Norwegian had grown to become Scandinavia's largest airline. They started more long-haul flights, including one from London Gatwick to Singapore. In June 2017, Norwegian received its first Boeing 737 MAX plane.
Changes and Challenges (2018–2021)
To help pay for its fast growth, Norwegian sold some of its shares in Bank Norwegian and sold some of its planes to then lease them back. In 2018, Norwegian decided to focus more on making a profit than just growing bigger. They closed some crew bases and changed their plane orders.
In March 2019, Norwegian, like many other airlines, stopped flying its Boeing 737 MAX planes after two accidents involving other airlines. On July 11, 2019, the company's founder and CEO, Bjørn Kjos, stepped down.
The COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit airlines very hard. Norwegian had to cancel 85% of its flights and lay off many workers. The airline's value dropped a lot. To get a loan from the Norwegian government, Norwegian had to make big changes. They planned to fly fewer planes, mostly on domestic routes within Norway.
In June 2020, Norwegian started adding more flights as travel demand slowly returned. However, on June 29, 2020, the airline announced it had cancelled all its remaining orders for Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787 planes. In November 2020, the Norwegian government said it would not give the airline more money. Norwegian then sought special protection in Ireland to help restructure the company.
Reducing the Fleet (2021)
In January 2021, Norwegian decided to stop all its long-haul flights to focus only on shorter flights within Europe. They also returned many planes, including their Boeing 787s, to the companies they leased them from. In February 2021, Norwegian cancelled orders for 53 Airbus A320neos and 30 Airbus A321LRs. In March 2021, the airline confirmed it would not restart its Boeing 737 MAX operations.
To make things simpler, Norwegian moved its flight operations in Europe to Norwegian Air Sweden. By May 2021, Norwegian had finished its restructuring and was no longer under bankruptcy protection.
After Restructuring (2021–Present)
After the restructuring, Geir Karlsen became the new CEO. Norwegian created two new operating companies, Norwegian Air Shuttle AOC AS and Norwegian Air Sweden AOC AB, each with its own flight license. Flights under these new licenses began on October 31, 2021.
On December 1, 2021, Norwegian announced it would start flying the Boeing 737 MAX 8 again in 2022, even though they had previously said they wouldn't. They ordered ten more Boeing 737 MAX 8s in February 2022. In May 2022, the airline announced plans to buy 50 new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
In 2023, Norwegian announced its plan to buy Widerøe, Norway's largest regional airline. This purchase was approved in December 2023 and completed in January 2024.
How Norwegian Works
Ownership and Structure
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA shares are traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange. After a big change in May 2020, companies that leased planes to Norwegian became its biggest owners. The Norwegian Group includes the main company and its smaller companies in different countries like Denmark, Sweden, and the UK.
Head Office
Norwegian's main office is in a building called Diamanten in Fornebu, near Oslo, Norway. This building used to be the head office for other airlines before Norwegian moved in.
Helping Others
Since 2007, Norwegian has worked with UNICEF Norway to help children in need. They have flown aid flights to countries affected by war. Passengers can donate money when they buy tickets or food on board. Norwegian has used special planes with UNICEF designs for these missions.
Norwegian and UNICEF have completed five aid missions since 2014, delivering help to places like the Central African Republic, Syrian refugees in Jordan, Mali, Yemen, and Chad. They say their efforts have helped save over 100,000 children's lives.
Where Norwegian Flies
Norwegian Air Shuttle flies to many places in Europe and North Africa for both business and holidays. Including its smaller airlines, Norwegian flies to 104 destinations.
The busiest routes are usually within Scandinavia, like Oslo to Bergen and Oslo to Trondheim, which have many flights each day. Norwegian also has many flights to London Gatwick.
Past Long-Haul Flights
Norwegian started long-haul flights in May 2013, flying from Oslo and Stockholm to Bangkok and New York City. These flights used Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. Over the years, Norwegian expanded its long-haul network to Asia and the Americas from different European cities.
Norwegian also used Boeing 737 planes for long-haul flights between Europe and North America starting in 2017. These flights stopped in September 2019 after the Boeing 737 MAX planes were grounded. All long-haul flights with Boeing 787s ended in January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airline Partnerships
Norwegian has agreements with other airlines to help passengers connect to more destinations. These partners include:
- Norse Atlantic
- Play
- Widerøe
On-Time Flights
Norwegian Air Shuttle was Europe's most on-time airline in October 2023. This means 86.10% of their flights arrived on time.
Norwegian's Aircraft Fleet
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Planes Norwegian Flies Now
As of May 2025, Norwegian Air Shuttle and its Swedish partner fly only Boeing 737 planes.
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | 24 | — | 186 | Norwegian Air Shuttle | |
| 13 | 189 | ||||
| 17 | 186 | Norwegian Air Sweden | |||
| 8 | 189 | ||||
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 6 | 49 | 189 | Norwegian Air Shuttle | Order with 30 options. |
| 20 | Norwegian Air Sweden | ||||
| Total | 88 | 49 | |||
Planes Norwegian Used to Fly
Norwegian and its related airlines have flown these planes in the past:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300 | 28 | 2002 | 2015 | ||
| Boeing 737-500 | 1 | 2002 | 2003 | ||
| Boeing 787-8 | 8 | 2013 | 2021 | Operated by Norwegian Long Haul. | |
| Boeing 787-9 | 29 | 2016 | 2021 | Operated by Norwegian Long Haul | |
| Fokker 50 | 6 | 1993 | 2004 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 5 | 2007 | 2009 | Came from FlyNordic. | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 3 | 2008 | 2009 |
Plane Designs (Livery)
Norwegian's planes are mostly white with a bright red nose and a dark blue stripe. These are the same colors as the flag of Norway. The tail fin has a red tip and a blue stripe with the airline's website. The rest of the tail fin often features pictures of important historical figures from Europe and the Americas.
What to Expect on a Norwegian Flight
Norwegian's Boeing 737 planes have only economy class seats. There are usually 186 or 189 seats in a 3-3 layout. The airline offers entertainment on screens above the seats, or you can stream movies to your own device. They also have WiFi internet access.
Since Norwegian is a low-cost airline, you pay extra for things like food, drinks, and checked bags.
Frequent Flyer Program
Norwegian has a program called Norwegian Reward for frequent flyers. Passengers can earn points based on how much their ticket costs. These points can be used for future flights or other benefits.
Norwegian and the Norwegian Government
On May 12, 2025, the Norwegian government became a part-owner of Norwegian Air Shuttle. They now own 6.4% of the company. This happened after they converted half of a government loan to Norwegian into shares. This agreement was made in 2021 when Norwegian received government help.
See also
In Spanish: Norwegian Air Shuttle para niños
