Norwegian ditches Boeing 737 Max order

The struggling airline, which secured state aid and a debt-to-equity refinancing deal in May, will also seek compensation from Boeing for the grounding of 18 737 Max aircraft it already has in its fleet.

The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 following two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. US authorities are currently conducting test flights to judge whether it is safe to return to service.

Norwegian has also cancelled an order for five Boeing 787 long-haul aircraft as it reins in expansion.

Norwegian was forced to ground its existing 787s due to issues with Rolls Royce engines and had to draft in costly replacements during the summer peak for some transatlantic services.

"Norwegian has filed a legal claim seeking the return of pre-delivery payments related to the aircraft and compensation for the company’s losses related to the grounding of the 737 Max, and engine issues on the 787," the airline told the Norwegian stock exchange.

It added: "The dialogue has [yet to date] not led to an agreement with a reasonable compensation to the company."