Norwegian Air grounds most of its fleet

Norwegian Air will suspend almost all ts flights and temporarily lay off majority of its staff, as a the corona virus scare has choked the demand for air travel. The carrier has said that it will cancel 85% of its flight and lay off 90% of its staff that translates into 7,300 employees.

“What our industry is now facing is unprecedented and critical as we are approaching a scenario where most of our airplanes will be temporarily grounded,” Norwegian Air said in a statement. The company will primarily fly a reduced schedule domestically in Norway and between the Nordic capitals. The limited schedule will remain in place until at least April 17.

The carrier has been losing significant money over the last few years and its debt and liabilities had grown to $7.9 billion by the end of last year.