Low-cost carrier Norwegian has reported its monthly traffic
figures for March, revealing a massive 61 per cent drop in passenger numbers
even with the airline operating 77 per cent of scheduled flights.
The carrier said the Covid-19 pandemic was having a dramatic
effect across the airline industry due to government-imposed travel
restrictions and a general decline in demand as more people cancel travel plans
to stay home.
Norwegian was one of many airlines to start cutting capacity
in March to deal with the drop in demand, starting with a 15 per cent reduction
on 10 March and gradually increasing to an 85 per cent cut from 16 March after
it grounded its long-haul fleet and suspended flights to the US. It said
capacity was 40 per cent lower than planned, while flights that did operate had
a load factor of 72 per cent, down 13.8 percentage points compared to the same
month last year.
The airline carried a total of 1,153,283 passengers in March
2020 across the remaining scheduled flights and rescue operations.
CEO Jacob Schram said: “The speed of the Covid-19 global
outbreak throughout March had a profound impact on the entire Norwegian network
as cancellations, in line with global travel advice and falling demand, were
implemented throughout the month. Norwegian operated multiple rescue flights on
behalf of the government to ensure that thousands of Scandinavian passengers
could safely return home.”
Norwegian recently secured a guarantee for £23 million in financing
from banks, which opened the door for the government to top up rescue funding
to £233 million to help the airline survive the coronavirus crisis.