Norwegian is seeking further financial aid from the Norway government after experiencing – like many European airlines – what CEO Jacob Schram has called a “gruesome” summer season. Schram and finance director Geir Karlsen are claiming that Norwegian Air won’t survive the winter without fresh cash and capital infusions from the government, leading many to predict that Norway will have to take an equity stake in the airline.
Like all governments right now, Norway is debating how they can afford to help all troubled businesses that are being destroyed by the closure of the economy due to the pandemic. However, the government is meeting with airlines including Norwegian, as well as SAS and Widerøe next month to discuss more help. But without a clear timeframe of a return to revenue-generating flights, any government support may be restricted to keep routes open to maintain the mainly domestic transport infrastructure.