Norwegian reports strong improvement in earnings

Norwegian reported its third quarter results for 2015 with a pre-tax result (EBT) of NOK1.1bn (£87m), a strong improvement from the same quarter previous year. The company’s long-haul operations and international routes have a positive impact on the results. The load factor is at a record high of 91%. The pre-tax result was NOK1.1bn, a strong improvement from NOK505m (£43.5m) in the same quarter last year. The load factor for the third quarter was 91%, up 6 points. The airline carried 7.7 million passengers this quarter, an increase of 9%. The long-haul passenger growth was 15%, compared with last year’s third quarter result. Norwegian’s strongest growth in terms of passenger numbers was at London Gatwick, where the airline operates both long- and short-haul routes. The growth at Spanish airports is also considerable. In the Nordic countries passenger numbers are stable, with a slight increase in market share.