Norwegian's CEO Jacob Schram has sent a message to customers as the airline teeters on the brink, cutting staff and flights because of the ongoing and growing coronavirus COVID-19 crisis.
The global spread of coronavirus has had an enormous impact on the global aviation industry. Norwegian had been on a massive cost-cutting operation to concentrate more on profitability than growth and had expected to deliver a positive result in 2020, but the coronavirus crisis has put an end to that dream. The airline is continuously working to reduce costs even further but is seeking extraordinary measures from the government in order to strengthen the company’s liquidity in a critical phase.
“We welcome the fact that the government has decided to remove aviation taxes in Norway, but sadly, this is not enough as we’re in a very demanding situation at the moment. We need exact measures to strengthen our liquidity in the short term immediately. At the same time, it is crucial for us that the government will work on solutions for a phase two. We are asking for these solutions to come quickly. At the same time, we will take all measures necessary to reduce the financial losses this situation is causing us, no matter how painful they are. At the same time, we will also take care of our colleagues and customers in the best possible way,” says Norwegian CEO Jacob Schram.
Schram has sent the following message to customers......
"At Norwegian, the well-being and safety of our customers and colleagues is always our number one priority. I know that you may have questions because of the continuing uncertainty surrounding the spread of the coronavirus. I also know that a lot of you are worried about your future travel plans and I understand your worries.
This is a challenging time for the whole airline industry and sadly it is affecting you, our customers. Unfortunately, we have been forced to cancel many flights and we may have to continue to do so as travel restrictions keep changing. That’s why we are introducing flexible bookings – so you can book and travel with confidence with us.
Measures taken
But first I’d like to share what measures we at Norwegian are taking to protect you on board.
We have been monitoring the situation closely since reports of the virus first appeared, and we have already introduced a number of measures. We are prepared to implement further measures if needed.
Our aircraft across all our modern fleet are fitted with the latest air filtration technology. The HEPA filters are effective at capturing close to 100% of airborne microbes – including bacteria and viruses – and have similar performance to those used in hospital operating rooms.
To protect you, our crew and other colleagues, we’ve introduced enhanced cleaning procedures and carry precautionary kits on all our aircraft. Should any suspected coronavirus cases occur on board, our crew are trained to handle such an event.
And, by the way, there are some small, but important steps you can take as a passenger, too: Wash your hands with water and soap whenever possible or use hand sanitizer. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze into your elbow. This way you help protect both yourself, our crew and other passengers.
Keeping you informed
We understand you may have a lot of questions about your travel plans – we recommend you head to our Covid-19 webpage to see the latest travel information and what rebooking options are available to make online. Our website is continuously updated and the best source of information relating to your journey. We also want to assure you that if there are any changes to your flight, we will contact you directly via SMS and email.
Our Customer Care team can be contacted via Twitter, online chat and telephone; however, they are experiencing much higher call volumes than usual so please accept my apologies if the wait to get through is longer than you would expect.
From myself and all my colleagues at Norwegian, I would like to thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented situation. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again.
Best regards,
Jacob Schram
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