Norwegian loses traffic as MAX remains grounded
Low-cost carrier Norwegian’s passenger numbers fell by more than 59,000 last month due to the grounding of its 18 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The aircraft have been subject to a worldwide ban following two fatal crashes involving Lion Air in Indonesia and Ethiopian Airlines in Ethiopia.
Norwegian said it carried almost 3.4 million passengers in May, 59.047 fewer than the same month the previous year.
"With 18 Boeing 737 MAX grounded, we carried fewer passengers in May compared to the same month last year. However, our customers travel longer distances and we see a higher unit revenue," said CEO Bjorn Kjos.
"Following a period of significant expansion and investments, the figures show that our growth is slowing down, in line with our strategy of moving from growth to profitability. I’m also pleased to see that our on-time performance continues to improve."
Norwegian operated 99.3% of its scheduled flights in May, 81% of which were on time, a rise of 3.7 percentage points.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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