Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian Air Shuttle was founded in 1993 in Fornebu, Norway, initially operating bus and coach services rather than aviation. The airline was founded by Bjørn Kjos and began aviation operations in 1993 as a regional carrier operating on behalf of Braathens under a franchise arrangement. Norwegian launched as an independent low-cost carrier in September 2002 with initial domestic Norwegian routes. The airline listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2003.

Norwegian grew rapidly through the 2000s, establishing itself as Scandinavia's primary low-cost option and expanding to European leisure destinations. Under CEO Bjørn Kjos's bold vision, Norwegian launched transatlantic low-cost services in 2013 between Oslo and New York — an audacious move that European and American legacy carriers attempted to stop through regulatory and political pressure. Norwegian expanded its transatlantic network to include routes from London Gatwick, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, and other European cities to New York, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other US cities. The ultra-low fares — sometimes below $100 one-way transatlantic — created enormous consumer enthusiasm but proved financially unsustainable.

Norwegian filed for bankruptcy protection in Ireland in November 2020 and in the US in November 2020, subsequently abandoning all long-haul operations. The airline emerged from restructuring in May 2021 as a leaner European-focused carrier. Bjørn Kjos retired in 2019; Geir Karlsen became CEO and steered the restructuring.