The pilot strike in Norwegian is finally over

Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800
Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800 (© O. Pritzkow)

The Scandinavian pilot strike at Norwegian is finally over. Norwegian has gone to great lengths to reach an agreement to resolve the dispute, which has now lasted for 11 days. “I am very relieved that the strike has been called off and that our passengers finally can feel confident that our flights will operate as normal again. I am terribly sorry for the problems our passengers have experienced as a result of the pilot strike,” said Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos.

For Norwegian, it has been important to reach agreements that recognize the authority the company’s board and management have in order to continue to build a modern corporate structure that is internationally competitive. It has also been central to the negotiations not to abandon Norwegian’s right to control the company and the opportunity to adapt in an industry that is constantly changing. With the new collective agreement, the company has established a contributory pension (innskuddspensjon) for the pilots, a reduced Loss of License insurance, as well as a more flexible work schedule..

The Scandinavian pilots’ collective agreement has some of the best terms in the industry. The agreement has been signed with the Scandinavia pilot companies in which they are hired. In addition, the Norwegian Group has given an extraordinary guarantee of employment for all the pilots employed in Scandinavia. Such a guarantee is unique in Scandinavia, especially in a competitive industry like aviation. This guarantee is valid until October 2017.

It will take some time before our operations are back to normal as many of Norwegian’s aircraft and staff are not positioned for tomorrow’s traffic.

Norwegian