Norwegian Air's Transatlantic Collapse (2017-2019)
Norwegian Air launched aggressive budget nonstop service between U.S. East Coast cities and Europe, undercutting legacy carriers on routes like New York and Boston to Scandinavia and beyond.
Engine problems and heavy losses forced Norwegian to ground its long-haul fleet and retreat from U.S. routes by late 2019.
The collapse showed that adding transatlantic routes is easy, but sustaining them requires demand that covers costs.
Delta's Boston expansion is the opposite play: a legacy carrier adding premium heavy widebody service. But the Norwegian case is a reminder that route announcements can reverse quickly.
