Norwegian has announced it will temporarily lay off 90 percent of its workforce as it scales back services due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline said it will be cancelling 85 percent of its flights amid stagnating demand and tightening travel restrictions.
Chief executive Jacob Schram said: “It is indeed with a heavy heart we have to temporarily lay off more than 7,300 of our colleagues, but we unfortunately have no choice.
"However, I want to emphasise that this is temporary, because when the world returns to normalcy my goal is to keep as many of our dedicated colleagues as possible.”
The company said its main priority this week is to maintain as many scheduled flights as possible to ensure customers are able to return to their home destinations.
It said it will work closely with the authorities to arrange flights for the benefit of stranded passengers.
Norwegian said customers who are directly affected by route changes and cancellations will be contacted via text message or e-mail.
Mr Schram said: "We understand that this extraordinary situation is stressful for our customers, but I want to assure everyone that we are working around the clock to ensure that everyone is taken care of in the best way possible at this time."
The limited schedule is expected to remain in place until at least April 17.
Norwegian carries almost six million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 30 destinations around the world.
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