Higher fuel costs contribute to second quarter loss at Norwegian Air

Scandinavian airline group Norwegian suffered a second quarter operating loss of $61.7 million (603 million NOK).

The owner of budget airline Norwegian Air and regional carrier Wideroe cited higher fuel costs, the timing of Easter and the loss of a Norway Supreme Court appeal over 2020 EU emissions obligations.

The result is in contrast to a year ago, when Norwegian turned a profit of 1.25 billion NOK ($127.5 million) for the April-June period.

Chief executive Geir Karlsen said: “The second quarter was characterised by good operational performance and a continued focus on costs.

“While the financial results were weaker than expected this quarter for several reasons, our cost focus initiatives are continuing to deliver, and cost excluding fuel is down 5% compared to last year.

“Norwegian was also ranked as the top European airline on punctuality in May.

“We are well positioned for the coming months and are seeing a more favourable booking momentum going forward,”

The two airlines carried 7.8 million passengers in the period as they operated a fleet of 145 aircraft.

Karslen added: "This quarter has marked a major strategic development for the group.

“We are pleased that our shareholders approved the acquisition of Nordic Leisure Travel Group on 8 July, bringing us closer to finalising this significant transaction.”

The group said it was “encouraged” by a recent pick-up in booking momentum, with ticket sales tracking ahead of the same time last year for the second half of 2026.