Airlines are coping with coronavirus COVID-19 with drastic measures as one of the major European low-cost airlines, Norwegian had cut off 4000 flights and half of its staff.
The budget airline said the changes would apply until the end of May and numbers may increase. The move came after the new restrictions on travel between the US and mainland Europe put “extra pressure on an already difficult situation”. Lets remind you that several countries around Europe have closed its borders and US has banned travelers from Schengen zone including UK. The travel ban poses another threat to already crippled airlines.
Jacob Schram, chief executive of Norwegian, said this was “an unprecedented situation”.
He called on “international governments to act now to ensure that the aviation industry can protect jobs and continue to be a vital part of the global economic recovery”.
The airline has decided to ground 40% of its long-haul fleet and cancel up to a quarter of its short-haul flights. Norwegian will look for emergency investment to keep the company afloat.
Norwegian Air Shuttle stock plunged 22% late on Thursday before climbing 15% on Friday as part of a wider market recovery — the share price remains 77% down year-to-date.
