Norwegian Air and Widerøe combined to fly 2.6 million passengers in June 2024, but the company has lowered its profit forecast for the year in its latest update.
Norwegian welcomed 2,245,735 passengers while Widerøe had 346,747, totaling 2,592,482 for the group which was only formed in January 2024.
The latest figures announced on July 4, 2024, represent an 11% increase in passengers since last June for Norwegian and a 6% increase for Widerøe.
“I am pleased about the double-digit percentage increase in passengers travelling with Norwegian compared to June last year, as well as the positive passenger figures for Widerøe. Primarily due to a significant capacity increase on longer flights, Norwegian experienced a slight decrease in yield and load factor,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
The Norwegian boss added: “We are excited to continue serving a growing number of customers as they embark on their summer holidays.”
Load factor at Norwegian Air improved compared to April and May 2024, but was down 1% from June 2023. For Widerøe the load factor was 76.8%, up 5% points from June last year.
“We are enthusiastic about the growing interest in Northern destinations from Europe. The extensive networks of Norwegian and Widerøe in Norway, along with our new routes in Sweden and Finland, allow us to connect European travelers with the best that the North has to offer,” Karlsen said.
Profit forecast drops
Norwegian, including Widerøe, was forced to lower its forecast for the group operating profit (EBIT) in 2024 of NOK 2.1 billion ($198 million) to NOK 2.6 billion ($246 million).
In April 2024, Norwegian had forecast the figure as NOK 2.5 billion ($236 million) to NOK 3.2 billion ($302 million), however the outlook excluded any profits from Widerøe.
The group blamed softer traffic demand during the second quarter and Boeing delivery delays which has forced the company to source external capacity.