Norse Atlantic Airways is pulling the plug on Los Angeles.
Norse Atlantic Cancels All Los Angeles Flights As Fuel Costs Surge
Norse Atlantic Airways has canceled all of its flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), citing soaring jet fuel prices that have made its longhaul routes unsustainable.
The Norwegian low-cost carrier confirmed it has removed its entire summer schedule from LAX, including flights to London, Paris, and Rome.
In a statement, Norse pointed to the “global fuel crisis” and “too high fuel risk exposure” as the reason for the cuts, saying the move was necessary to protect its long-term viability.
“This cancelation is due to the unforeseen global fuel crisis, and we unfortunately—with a heavy heart—had to cancel our beloved LAX routes with too high fuel risk exposure. This will protect a sustainable future, and our ability to remain a reliable service for our passengers this summer.”
Norse built its business model around low-cost, longhaul flying using Boeing 787 Dreamliners. That model works when fuel is cheap, but breaks down quickly when fuel spikes.
And fuel has spiked indeed. Jet fuel prices have surged dramatically amid geopolitical tensions tied to the Iran conflict, with prices doubling since early this year.
For longhaul flights like Los Angeles to Europe, fuel is a huge driver of cost. When that cost doubles, routes that once looked viable can quickly become money losers.
That appears to be exactly what happened here.
Why Los Angeles Was First To Go
The LAX routes were always the most vulnerable.
Flights from Los Angeles to Europe are among the longest in Norse’s network, meaning:
- Higher fuel burn
- Higher operational risk
- Less margin for error
In contrast, Norse’s East Coast routes, especially from New York (JFK), are shorter and easier to sustain in a high-fuel environment, even with more competition.
Norse already cut it nonstop service from LA to Berlin and Oslo, and I would not be surprised if Norse does not return to the City of Angels.
Can Norse Survive This?
Norse actually has some encouraging metrics. The airline has reported strong load factors and improving unit revenue, even as it cuts capacity.
But this is also starting to look very familiar.
Norwegian Air Shuttle, Norse’s predecessor in the low-cost longhaul space, ran into the same fundamental problem: longhaul flying is brutally sensitive to fuel prices.
When fuel is cheap, the model works. When it is not, the economics unravel quickly.
Norse is making what appears to be the right short-term decision by cutting unprofitable routes. But if fuel prices remain elevated for a prolonged period, the question is whether the entire model comes under pressure again.
I’m hoping that will not be the case.
CONCLUSION
Norse Atlantic’s decision to cancel all Los Angeles flights is a grim reality of fuel prices that have doubled in 2026.
With fuel prices rising and margins thin, airlines are being forced to make hard choices. For Norse, that means walking away from Los Angeles entirely.
It’s too early to say whether this is a temporary retreat or the beginning of something more serious for Norse. Hopefully discipline in route planning today will keep the carrier viable in the future.
image: Norse
Praise be to Donald, the wisest of Presidents, who in his infinite wisdom has embarked upon a war that is improving the resilience of the American people by taking them from an economy already marked by rampant inflationary pressures to one that combines those with a massive rise in energy prices!
With jet fuel prices soaring to $200 a barrel due to tensions in the Middle East and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Norse’s recent decision should come as no shock… More power and best of good luck to hem anyway!
*Revised Comment*
With jet fuel prices soaring to $200 a barrel due to tensions in the Middle East and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Norse’s recent decision should come as no shock… More power and best of good luck to them anyway! Furthermore, let’s remember that Norse reported a full year loss for 2025 of $62 million even with leasing out half their fleet. This takes their total losses to over $600 million since they began in 2022. Their management were adamant they would be in profits by the end of 2024.
“In contrast, Norse’s East Coast routes, especially from New York (JFK)”
Isn’t it just basically JFK and Orlando at this point?
I believe so… MIA last saw Norse in September 2025.
This is not a good sign for the industry. Norse (formerly Norwegian) reminds me of WOW/Play, etc. in Iceland; these long-haul LCCs are feeling the pressure. We should want them to survive because they keep legacy carriers in-check.
It’s worth noting that Norse Atlantic Airways and Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian) are not the same airline. While both are Norwegian low-cost carriers with similar business models and founders, they are separate companies. Norse was formed in 2021 to operate long-haul, transatlantic flights using many aircraft and routes previously operated by Norwegian (formed in 1993), which now focuses on short-haul European flights.
Didn’t Southwest do something similar the last time fuel prices spiked – they cut a lot of their longer flights and transcons like OAK-BWI.