Approximately 7,300 workers will be temporarily laid off as a result of the move.
With the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak impacting life on a day-to-day basis, Norwegian has taken the decision to gradually cancel 85% its flights, temporarily laying off the majority of its workforce in the process.
The airline has reacted to an "unprecedented and critical" time in its industry, having already discontinued a number of flights to date.
A total of 7,300 employees will lose their jobs, at least temporarily, amounting to 90% of the workforce in the form of pilots, cabin crew, maintenance and administrative staff.
"We are approaching a scenario where most of our airplanes will be temporarily grounded," notes Norwegian CEO Jacob Schram in a statement issued on Monday (16 March).
"Several governments in Europe have already said that they will do everything they can to ensure that their airlines can continue to fly when society returns to normalcy.
"We appreciate that the authorities of Norway have communicated that they will implement all necessary measures to protect aviation in Norway, consequently securing crucial infrastructure and jobs."
The airline has underlined that its main priority this week is to maintain as many scheduled flights as possible in order to ensure that people are able to return home. Norwegian will work with authorities to arrange flights for stranded passengers, if necessary.
Any customers directly affected by route changes and cancellations will be contacted via text message or email.
"We understand that this extraordinary situation is stressful for our customers, but I want to assure everyone that we are working around the clock to ensure that everyone is taken care of in the best way possible at this time," Schram added.
"It is indeed with a heavy heart we have to temporarily lay off more than 7,300 of our colleagues, but we unfortunately have no choice. However, I want to emphasize that this is temporary, because when the world returns to normalcy my goal is to keep as many of our dedicated colleagues as possible."
