OSLO, NORWAY — Norwegian is in talks with Airbus as the all-Boeing budget operator considers ordering new jets from Boeing's European rival as the legal case with the American planemaker over previous cancellations lengthen out.



Norwegian scrapped its entire order backlog with Boeing comprising 92 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets and five Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets, in the summer of 2020 due to the downturn during the pandemic.

The airline blamed Boeing for obvious neglect and sloppy production in a USD1 billion lawsuit it filed against it and its UK-based European subsidiary, Boeing Commercial Aviation Services Europe Limited.

Since then, the proceedings have dragged on between courts in the US at both the state and federal levels. On the other side, the Norwegian carrier canceled a deal for 88 Airbus aircraft without any hassle on the terms.

Norwegian emerged from six months of bankruptcy protection on May 26, 2021, and lost more than half of its fleet to pay its debts. It is now looking to grow its network in Europe, specifically in Scandinavia, and to increase the size of its fleet.