This includes capturing a larger share of the corporate market. (Cirium Diio)Īnother big piece of becoming the favored airline in the Nordics is diversifying its business. Wideroe (green) adds significant depth to Norwegian Air’s (red) route map in Norway. Wideroe operates 48 aircraft, including De Havilland Dash 8s and Embraer E190-E2s, all of which have 110 seats or fewer. One aspect of that is serving more destinations in the region, even smaller ones that may not have the demand for its Boeing 737 aircraft with at least 186 seats. The few examples where discounters have added regional operations, WestJet and Virgin Australia to name two, have not gone well with the former shrinking its Encore fleet and the latter exiting the regional business as part of its pandemic restructuring.īut Norwegian Air has a clear goal: “To be the most loved and trusted airline in the Nordics,” as Karlsen put it in May. Neither European budget leaders EasyJet nor Ryanair have regional subsidiaries. Low-cost carriers rarely diversify their business into often higher-cost regional airlines. Norwegian Air’s deal for Wideroe, however, is unique. is any example, enable steady growth of the continent’s major airline groups. That could boost profitability and, if the U.S. If successful, the deals could see a more rational airline market in Europe. And neither appears likely to be the last: International Airlines Group (IAG) is trying, again, for regulatory signoff of its long-sought purchase of Air Europa, and the three major airline groups - Air France-KLM, IAG, and Lufthansa - are all eagerly watching Portugal’s privatization of TAP Air Portugal. The first was the Lufthansa Group’s deal to acquire 41% of ITA Airways in May Lufthansa has the option to take full control of the Italian carrier at a later date. The Norwegian Air-Wideroe deal is the second major post-pandemic airline merger in Europe. “With this transaction, we will now create a streamlined and more comprehensive offer, including our leading Norwegian Reward programme, for all customers throughout Norway and abroad,” Norwegian Air CEO Geir Karlsen said.

Norwegian Air forecasts 200-300 million Norwegian kroner in annual financial synergies from the merger from 2024. Norwegian Air plans to keep the Wideroe brand, which has nearly 90 years of history in the Norway market, and operate the two airlines as independent businesses once the deal closes, which is expected in the fourth quarter. The deal is worth roughly 2 billion Norwegian kroner including Wideroe’s debt. Oslo-based Norwegian Air will buy Wideroe for 1.13 billion Norwegian kroner ($105 million), it said Thursday. The discounter will buy Norwegian regional airline Wideroe in a deal that could potentially vault Norwegian Air ahead of its legacy competitor SAS in the Nordic market. Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.Norwegian Air, once the image of a failed carrier, is taking the lead in the long expected consolidation of the European airline business. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports. 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. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap.

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway.

Norwegian air 2022