Norwegian Air plans to capitalise on increased tourism to Nordic countries this year driven by weakened local currency.
The low cost carrier projects a fleet of 88 aircraft for the summer peak with a forecast “low single-digit” growth in capacity for the year.
The forecast came as parent company Norwegian Group reported the second highest operating profit in its history of NOK1.8 billion (£133 million) despite a fourth quarter loss of NOK93 million (£6.6 million).
Chief executive Geir Karlsen said: “The upside of the weak local currency is that it brings about increased tourism to the Nordics.
“Norwegian and [regional carrier] Wideroe are uniquely positioned to capitalise on this.
“In 2025, we will therefore continue our work to improve our product offering, and strengthen our efforts to reduce costs and increase efficiency.”
The group carried 6.2 million passengers in the fourth quarter, with 5.2 million using Norwegian Air and one million with Wideroe.
The number of passengers increased year-on-year by 480,000 for Norwegian and 126,000 for Wideroe.
However, the operational performance for both airlines was negatively affected by adverse winter weather and operational issues in the last quarter of the year, the group noted.
Full year carryings totalled 22.6 million for Norwegian Air, up 10% on 2023, and 3.8 million for Wideroe, setting a new passenger record for the regional carrier in its 90-year history.
Karlsen added: “Overall, we are pleased with the hard work across the group and are encouraged by the year-on-year growth in passenger numbers.
“This demonstrates the strong demand for our product and the appreciation our new and returning customers have for travelling with Norwegian.
“The increase in our business segment is encouraging, and we look forward to continuing to integrate Wideroe’s product offering to further enhance this segment.
“In addition, I am glad to see Boeing’s production progress, having received three new 737 Max 8 this year.”