Norwegian Air secures court protection over €4.1bn debts

(Irish Times, Dublin, 7 December 2020) Norwegian Air Shuttle secured a crucial lifeline on Monday when the High Court granted the embattled carrier and five Irish subsidiaries protection from creditors. Norwegian owes creditors, mainly aircraft lessors and banks, more than $5 billion (€4.1 billion) in total, while it faces running out of cash early next year. Its 140 aircraft are held by companies based in Ireland. US aircraft lessor Aviation Capital Group recently got a judgement in the English High Court for $6.3 million for rent due on Boeing 737s.  The Export Import Bank of the United States, which has given export credit guarantees to Boeing, is owed $46 million, while the carrier’s potential liability could run into the hundreds of millions, tied to ten 737s and three 787s.