Norwegian Air postpones Airbus plane delivery to cut costs

A Norwegian Air subsidiary has agreed with Airbus to postpone plane deliveries scheduled for this year and next, cutting its capital spending by $570m, the loss-making budget carrier said on Wednesday. It is the second time in two months that the airline has postponed aircraft deliveries. The Oslo-listed airline has shaken up long-haul rivals by offering cut-price transatlantic fares, but its rapid expansion has left it with hefty losses and high debts, leading it to shift recently to focus on bolstering its finances. The latest postponement covers an order by Norwegian Air’s Dublin-based aircraft leasing company Arctic Aviation Assets DAC for A320neos and A321LRs, Norwegian said. A spokeswoman declined to provide details, but said the agreement comes in addition to the previously announced plans. In February, Norwegian said it was postponing deliveries of 12 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft from 2020 to 2023 and 2024, and four Airbus 321LR aircraft from 2019 to 2020.<br/>