Norwegian Group Reports First Quarter 2026 Operating Loss of NOK 220 Million
- Joe Breitfeller
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Norwegian Group has reported a first quarter 2026 operating loss of NOK 220 million (US $23.7 million), compared to an operating loss of NOK 611 million (US $65.9 million) during the same period last year.
On Tuesday (April 28, 2026), Norwegian Group, the parent company of Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe, reported their first quarter financial results for the period ending March 31, 2026. The company reported a first quarter operating loss of NOK 220 million (US $23.7 million), compared to an operating loss of NOK 611 million (US $65.9 million) during the same period last year. During the first quarter, the Group carried 5.2 million passengers, of which 4.2 million traveled with Norwegian and 0.9 million with Widerøe. Norwegian’s load factor for the quarter was 87.6 percent, an increase of 5.2 percentage points from the same period last year, while Widerøe had a load factor of 70.2 percent.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Norwegian’s CEO, Geir Karlsen, said,
“Although we are pleased that overall demand is good, we are navigating a complex and unpredictable market with both economic and political uncertainty. Despite this, we had a positive development in the first quarter, with stable and reliable operations and good cost control.
“We are entering the summer season with good momentum, thanks to a continued positive booking trend in key parts of our route network. We are very grateful for the trust our customers show us, and we received a nice confirmation of this when Norwegian was recently again named ‘Norway’s best domestic airline’. We will continue to work for that trust every day, through reliable operations and good customer experiences.
During the quarter, Norwegian launched Denmark's first domestic route with 40 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of a government tender. At March 31, 2026, Norwegian Group’s fleet included 145 aircraft, including 95 for Norwegian and 50 for Widerøe. The company’s loyalty program, Norwegian Reward, continued to attract new customers, and surpassed 8.5 million members during the period.
Norwegian is a leading Nordic aviation group headquartered in Fornebu in Bærum. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe Flyveselskap, which was acquired in 2024. Norwegian Air Shuttle has around 4,700 team members and offers an extensive route network connecting the Nordic countries to popular destinations in Europe. In 2024, Norwegian carried over 22.6 million passengers with a fleet of 95 Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 MAX aircraft. Widerøe Flyveselskap is Norway’s oldest airline and has more than 3,500 employees. During 2024, Widerøe carried 3.8 million passengers with a fleet of 50 aircraft, including 46 De Havilland Canada Dash-8s and three Embraer E190-E2s. Additionally, Widerøe Ground Handling provides services at 41 airports in Norway.
Source: Norwegian Air Shuttle / Mynewsdesk
