Norwegian Air Argentina was established on 25 January 2017 and started operating domestic services in Argentina with Boeing 737-800 from September 2018. Also, in June 2017, the airline announced flights from London to Buenos Aires, to begin in February 2018.

During 2018, the airline continued to expand dramatically inaugurating new long haul routes from bases across Europe (Madrid, Rome, Paris, Milan, London) to destinations in Asia, North America and South America.

To finance its aggressive growth involving the inauguration of many new routes, the hiring and training of new employees, and the accepting of aircraft deliveries, Norwegian sold some of its shares. Norwegian changed its strategy from growth to profitability in 2018, and in January 2019, the airline announced restructuring measures consisting of the closure of several crew bases mostly for its Boeing 737 operations outside Norway and the cancellation of nearly its entire Airbus order. On 11 July 2019, the company's founder Bjørn Kjos stepped down as CEO.

On 12 March 2019, the group had grounded all of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, after the grounding of the type by EASA, in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crash.

Throughout 2019, adding to its problems, Norwegian faced mounting debt due to rapid fleet expansion, operational challenges with aircraft engines, and the global grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX. During that year, Norwegian undertook route rationalisation, cutting unprofitable services and shifting operations—for example, consolidating transatlantic routes in major hubs such as San Francisco and New York JFK while discontinuing others like Newark. It also planned new seasonal long-haul routes between Europe and North America, including Paris–Chicago and Rome–Denver, reflecting its continued belief—at least at that stage—in the viability of long-haul low-cost operations.

Despite these efforts, 2019 exposed the fragility of Norwegian’s business model. Financial pressures forced the airline to sell aircraft, reduce capacity, and seek creditor support to avoid insolvency. This precarious position set the stage for the events that would unfold in 2020. Norwegian Air Argentina ceased operations in March 2020. The airline sold its Argentine subsidiary to low-cost competitor JetSmart in December 2019.

The year 2020 marked a turning point as the COVID-19 pandemic devastated global aviation. Norwegian’s long-haul network was effectively shut down, with its Boeing 787 fleet grounded and operations suspended. The airline postponed long-haul flights entirely and cancelled outstanding aircraft orders, including Dreamliners that had not yet been delivered. At the same time, the company undertook drastic financial restructuring measures, converting approximately €1.2 billion in debt into equity and renegotiating aircraft leasing agreements under “power-by-the-hour” arrangements, meaning it paid only for aircraft usage. These emergency measures reflected a shift from expansion to survival, as the airline sought to conserve liquidity amid unprecedented demand collapse.

In 2021, Norwegian executed a comprehensive restructuring that fundamentally reshaped the company. Early in the year, it formally abandoned its long-haul strategy, announcing the permanent discontinuation of transatlantic and intercontinental operations. The airline also cancelled large aircraft orders, including Airbus A320neo and A321LR jets, and began returning or terminating leases for many aircraft, particularly wide-body jets. The company filed for bankruptcy protection processes in multiple jurisdictions, including under Irish examinership and U.S. Chapter 15, while simultaneously pursuing a reconstruction under Norwegian law.

By May 2021, Norwegian’s restructuring plan had been approved and implemented, significantly reducing its debt burden and simplifying its corporate structure. The airline emerged as a much smaller entity focused exclusively on short-haul European and Nordic routes, with a standardized fleet primarily composed of Boeing 737 aircraft. Bases outside its core markets—including in the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States—were closed, and thousands of jobs were eliminated. This marked the end of Norwegian’s identity as a global low-cost long-haul disruptor and the beginning of a more conservative, regionally focused business model.

In 2022 and 2023, Norwegian entered a recovery phase. The airline rebuilt its network across Europe, gradually increasing capacity as travel demand returned following the pandemic. It operated a fleet of narrow-body aircraft and expanded to dozens of destinations across the continent. By 2023, the airline reported its strongest operating profit in its history, signalling a successful turnaround after the restructuring.

During this period, Norwegian also began to rebuild its market presence through partnerships and group expansion. A notable development was the acquisition of regional airline Widerøe (mentioned in industry analysis), which strengthened its domestic and regional connectivity within Scandinavia and supported feeder traffic into its broader European network. The airline’s route network expanded to approximately 150 destinations, primarily within Europe, reflecting a disciplined but steady growth strategy.

From 2024 to 2026, Norwegian continued consolidating its position as a profitable short-haul carrier. Financial performance improved significantly, with strong earnings and profitability returning after years of losses. The airline also resumed shareholder returns, including dividend announcements in 2025. During this time, the Norwegian government exited its ownership stake, which had been acquired as part of the 2021 restructuring support.

The airline gradually reintroduced the Boeing 737-8MAX into its long-term planning after initially distancing itself from the type during the crisis.

Looking toward the future, Norwegian has placed significant orders for Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, including an initial agreement for 50 aircraft in 2022 and an additional order for 30 more in 2025. Rather than returning to long-haul operations, Norwegian’s future route development is expected to focus on increasing frequencies on key European city pairs.