Norwegian Air Dropping Flights Between North America and Ireland
Ultra-low-cost carrier Norwegian Air announced that it will discontinue all of the airline's flights between North America and Ireland. Flights between North America and Ireland will end next month. The airline cited its focus on profitability and the on-going grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX as factors in the decision to terminate service between North America and Ireland.
Effective September 15th, 2019, Norwegian Air will cease all flights between the U.S., Canada, and Ireland. The following routes will be terminated:
- Providence, RI (PVD) ⇒ Cork (ORK)
- Providence, RI (PVD) ⇒ Dublin (DUB)
- Providence, RI (PVD) ⇒ Shannon (SNN)
- New York-Stewart (SWF) ⇒ Shannon (SNN)
- New York-Stewart (SWF) ⇒ Dublin (DUB)
- Hamilton, Ont. (YHM) ⇒ Dublin (DUB)
Norweigan Air cited the airline's shifting focus towards profitability over growth. The airline also implicated the Boeing 737 MAX in its decision to terminate flights between North America and Ireland. The Boeing 737 MAX was the aircraft originally intended to operate the majority of Norwegian Air's flights between North American and Ireland. However, Norwegian Air was forced to source alternate aircraft following the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX in March 2019.
Norwegian Air had been utilizing wet-leased aircraft on its flights between North America and Ireland to minimize the impact of the 737 MAX grounding. However, the airline stated that continuing to wet-lease replacement aircraft has become unsustainable. With the 737 MAX's re-entry into service still uncertain, Norwegian Air noted that the airline's flights between North America and Ireland are no longer commercially viable.
Flights between North America and Ireland were added in 2017 as part of Norweigan Air's aggressive Trans-Atlantic expansion.
Ireland's Raidió Teilifís Éireann is reporting that "several thousand customers" will be impacted by the route closures. Norwegian Air noted in a press release that the airline is working to assist passengers impacted by the termination of flights between North America and Ireland.
Passengers impacted by the termination of Norwegian's flights between North America and Ireland should contact the airline directly. Unfortunately, because Norwegian Air provided at least two weeks notice, passengers are not entitled to compensation under EU261.