Norwegian reports record high 2016 traffic figures: 30 million passengers

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Norwegian reported its highest ever passenger figures in a single year with almost 30 million passengers and a load factor of 88 per cent in 2016. The launch of 34 new routes and a substantial increase of intercontinental traffic contributed considerably to the growth.

Passenger growth, more new aircraft and high load factors characterised 2016. The company carried almost 30 million passengers in 2016, 3.6 million more than the previous year. The company took delivery of 21 brand new aircraft and launched 34 new routes, mainly in the U.S., Spain and the UK. The 2016 load factor was 88 per cent, up from 86 per cent in 2015.

Norwegian also received several international customer awards in 2016, including two SkyTrax Awards: “Europe’s best low-cost carrier” for the fourth consecutive year and the “World’s best low-cost long-haul airline” for the second year in a row.

December 2016 was also characterised by passenger growth and a solid load factor. Norwegian carried 2,145,043 passengers in December, up 20 per cent from the same month last year. The capacity growth (ASK) in December was 29 per cent and the traffic growth (RPK) was 31 per cent. The load factor was 84.6 per cent, an increase of 1.3 percentage points.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said: “The traffic figures show that our global strategy works and our competitiveness is strengthened. It is gratifying to see that more and more people choose to fly with us – our flights between Paris and several cities in the US, for example, have more or less been full. At the same time, our European and intercontinental routes complement each other as around 30 per cent of our passengers on the intercontinental routes also use our European network on the same journey.”

“December has been a busy travel month in particularly in Scandinavia, Europe and the U.S. Our Caribbean routes have been very well received, especially amongst American travellers who are flying from Boston, New York and Baltimore/Washington to the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe,” Kjos continued.

Norwegian operated 99.2 percent of its scheduled flights in December, of which 69 per cent departed on time.


Amy Wonderful Amywill become the airline’s latest British hero to grace aircraft

Norwegian has announced that pioneering pilot Amy Johnson will become its 2nd British tail fin hero, with the renowned pilot’s portrait set to appear on two Norwegian aircraft later this year.

Norwegian has always honoured iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, and already has more than 80 tail fin heroes featuring personalities who symbolise the spirit of Norwegian through innovation, challenging the norm, and inspiring others. To reflect Norwegian’s rapid growth in the UK, where it now flies 4.5 million UK passengers each year to 50 destinations, the airline has now begun a series of British tail fin heroes.

Amy Johnson will become Norwegian’s second ever British tail fin hero, following the announcement last year of ‘the world’s number one storyteller’ Roald Dahl as the first British tail fin hero.

Born in Hull in 1903, Amy Johnson CBE was the first female to fly solo from England to Australia in 1930, just one year after being awarded her pilot’s licence. Amy flew an open cockpit single engine Gypsy Moth which she named Jason – she left Croydon Airport on the 5th May 1930 and after 19 days and 11,000 miles arrived at Darwin, Australia. Amy was awarded a CBE in recognition of her towering achievement which also inspired the contemporary popular song “Amy Wonderful Amy”.

Amy went on to set many long distance flying records and as someone that once remarked “I am an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things” Amy Johnson perfectly captures the essence of Norwegian’s tailfin heroes. The Amy Johnson tail fin will take to the skies later this year when it will adorn both a Boeing 737 and Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, operating one of Norwegian’s many low-cost routes between the UK, Europe and the US.

Norwegian’s Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl said: “As Norwegian continues its rapid expansion in the UK, our ‘tail fin heroes’ offer us a perfect chance to pay tribute to some of the greatest Britons of all time. Amy Johnson is a giant in the history of aviation and a truly inspirational British figure so it is a huge honour to have her adorn our aircraft and help her take to the skies once more.”

Amy Johnson’s nieces Susan Crook and Judy Chilvers said:We think that Amy would have felt very honoured to be chosen as a tail fin hero for Norwegian and as her nearest living relatives we are happy to see her back in the air where she was always at her happiest.”

Norwegian operates from four UK airports (London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh) carrying 4.5 million yearly UK passengers to 50 global destinations. Norwegian’s routes include the UK’s only direct low-cost flights to the US, with flights to 8 US cities from just £135 one way.

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