In September, Norwegian had 2,263,270 passengers while Widerøe had 356,259
passengers, totalling 2,619,529 for the group. The capacity was up 10 percent
while the number of passengers rose by 11 percent compared to September 2023.
Norwegian responds actively to external challenges impacting the airline by
maintaining a strong focus on costs, even with positive September traffic
figures.
"I am pleased that we have increased load factors throughout the summer and into
the autumn season, while at the same time delivering double-digit capacity
growth. The autumn school holiday period in Norway is performing well, and we
are looking forward to a busy October ahead and an upcoming winter season with
many new and exciting destinations. While we are happy with the performance, we
are not complacent. We are actively managing costs to mitigate any upcoming
challenges," said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
Norwegian's capacity (ASK) was 3,541 million seat kilometres, up 10 percent from
the same period last year. Actual passenger traffic (RPK) was 3,017 million seat
kilometres, an increase of 12 percent from September 2023. Load factor increased
by 1.2 percentage points from the same period last year, to 85.2 percent. In
September, Norwegian operated with a regularity, meaning share of scheduled
flights taking place, of 99.4 percent. The punctuality, meaning share of flights
departing within 15 minutes of scheduled time, was 78.6 percent, down 6
percentage points from September last year, in part due to weather and heavy air
traffic control restrictions. Norwegian operated an average of 86 aircraft in
September.
Boeing strike causes worry
Boeing has been faced with different challenges over the past years, the most
recent being the ongoing strike action. Now moving into week four of the strike,
more than 30,000 technicians and mechanics have walked out, further impacting an
already heavily delayed production schedule.
"The strike is further delaying Boeing deliveries, which were already
significantly behind schedule. This will delay our deliveries well into next
summer and increase short-term costs, requiring us to prioritise cost-saving
measures. We are considering various mitigating actions to overcome the shortage
of aircraft, such as lease renewals," said Geir Karlsen.
For Widerøe, the capacity (ASK) in September was 182 million seat kilometres.
The actual passenger traffic (RPK) was 134 million seat kilometres, while the
load factor was 73.5 percent, up 6.7 percentage points from September last year.
See detailed traffic figures in the attached PDF.
For further information, please contact:
Jesper M. Hatletveit, Investor Relations at Norwegian, Tel: +47 906 64 401
Fornebu, 4 October 2024
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU
Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant
to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange
announcement was published by Jesper M. Hatletveit, VP Investor Relations at
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, on 4 October 2024 at 08:00 CEST.