Scandinavian airline Norwegian has blamed first quarter losses of around £45 million on strikes by pilots earlier this year.
The budget carrier said the results were an improvement on the same period for 2014, with a weak Norwegian currency also being cited as a reason for the loss.
Passenger traffic was also hit by the strike action, with Norway and Sweden seeing a drop of 190,000 compared to the same period in 2014. However, passenger growth outside of Scandinavia remained strong with an increase of 15 per cent.
Revenue in the first quarter was up 14 per cent with the company carrying over five million passengers.
Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos, said: “Traditionally, the first quarter is low season, and in addition the figures have been significantly affected by a weak Norwegian currency (NOK) against the dollar and the Euro.
“At the same time, the pilot strike in Scandinavia made many customers choose our competitors. On a positive note, the passenger growth outside Scandinavia is strong, particularly on our long-haul routes. The passenger growth is especially strong at London Gatwick and future booking figures are looking good.”
Last month, an 11-day pilots strike affected more than 200,000 Norwegian passengers as workers walked out in a dispute over employment terms.
During the first quarter, Norwegian took delivery of two new Boeing 787-800s, in addition to one Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in March/April.