Norwegian Air’s July traffic down 90% year on year

OSLO (Reuters) – Norwegian Air’s July passenger volume fell by 90.4% from a year earlier as most of its fleet remained grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Thursday.

It flew 356,093 passengers during the month compared to 3.71 million in July 2019.

“Although customer demand has increased compared to the almost non-existent levels in April, May and June, the market situation remains challenging,” Norwegian said in a statement.

The budget carrier used 20 of its aircraft in July, up from eight in June, but more than 100 jetliners are still parked amid a sharp fall in global travel.

It won backing in May from owners and creditors for a financial restructuring and aims to rebuild operations, albeit on a smaller scale than before the pandemic.

“Norwegian will continue to evaluate demand, travel advice and infection control measures while adjusting its network accordingly,” it said.

Initially limiting its operations during COVID-19 to domestic flights in Norway, the airline now flies more widely in Europe while its transatlantic business is on hold.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Edmund Blair)