Scandinavian low-cost carrier Norwegian will not be copying Wizz Air’s recent decision to roll out a ‘premium’ seating option across its network, arguing its product is already better suited to market trends.
Speaking during the group’s full-year earnings call on 13 February, Norwegian chief executive Geir Karlsen was questioned about Wizz’s new offering, which sees it block the two middle seats in the first row of the cabin, replying with a firm “no” when asked whether Norwegian would do the same.
He argues that Norwegian’s product offering already meets the standards that ultra-low-cost carriers are seeking to achieve with recent product upgrades, citing his airline’s 86% load factor in the fourth quarter of 2025 as evidence that its products are well-liked by customers.
“What you are seeing in the ultra-low-cost market, or the low-cost market if you include the US, is carriers are actually moving towards the legacy players, offering a more premium product; not all the way, but partially moving in that direction.
“That is actually the position that we have today in Norwegian,” he contends.
Among initiatives involving its soft products that position Norwegian in that space, it has been courting the corporate travel market in recent years via agreements with more than 2,000 companies, while it has also upgraded its distribution capabilities and offers a frequent flyer programme.
Moreover, it will soon interline with regional carrier Wideroe, which is part of the Norwegian group, and is talking to long-haul carriers that serve its key markets about potential commercial relationships enabled by that new interlining capability.
“So we are very happy with the position that we are currently have, where we think we have a better product than the ultra-low-cost guys,” Karlsen says.
Norwegian achieved its best-ever operating profit of NKr3.73 billion ($389 million) in 2025, having swung to a NKr21 million profit in the fourth quarter. Its full-year net profit of NKr2.81 billion was around double that achieved in 2024, amid a “focus on cost control and robust operational performance”.
