Norwegian Air carried 2.25 million passengers in May, according to the Scandinavian low-cost carrier’s latest traffic report. The figure came as the airline said the month was weaker than a year earlier for both Norwegian and its regional unit Wideroe.

The result underlines a softer period for the group, which has been working to balance demand, fares and capacity across its network. The May total shows the carrier remains a major player in European short-haul travel, even as it faces tougher year-on-year comparisons.

The airline said 2.25 million passengers flew with Norwegian Air during the month. It also said May was weaker than the same month in the previous year at Norwegian and Wideroe, though the brief statement did not give a fuller breakdown of causes in the text provided.

Norwegian has been one of the best-known budget airlines in Scandinavia for more than two decades, and its traffic figures are watched closely by investors and travellers alike. Passenger numbers are a key indicator of how airlines are performing because they reflect demand, route planning and the impact of pricing decisions.

The latest update suggests the carrier’s spring trading period was less strong than the corresponding month in 2024. For travellers, such reports can offer an early sign of how busy routes may be, particularly across popular Nordic and European destinations served by low-cost airlines.

Wideroe, the regional airline within the group, operates a network that supports domestic and short regional journeys. The company did not provide further detail in the source text on how the weaker month affected individual markets, ticket sales or load factors.

Airlines often see monthly traffic numbers move up or down because of holidays, school breaks, weather and scheduling changes. May is usually an important month for the sector as it leads into the peak summer travel season, when many carriers aim to build momentum before the busiest weeks of the year.

For Norwegian, the 2.25 million figure offers a clear snapshot of its scale in the market. It also points to the pressure airlines can face when a year-on-year comparison becomes harder to match, even if underlying demand remains broadly stable.

Travel demand across Europe has remained resilient in recent years, but carriers have faced a mix of rising operating costs, competition and changing booking patterns. Budget airlines in particular have had to protect margins while keeping fares attractive to price-sensitive passengers.

The airline’s May report provides a straightforward sign of performance rather than a detailed financial update. More information on yields, capacity and forward bookings would normally be needed to assess the full picture of the carrier’s trading position.

For now, the key message is simple: Norwegian Air carried 2.25 million passengers in May, but both it and Wideroe had a weaker month than a year earlier. The numbers leave the airline entering the summer period with plenty to prove as travel demand shifts into its busiest season.