Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsTrade unionsRedundancy

Pilots say defunct Norwegian airline should cover salaries

by Adam McCulloch 5 Jul 2021
by Adam McCulloch 5 Jul 2021 A Norwegian aircraft at Gatwick in 2019
Photo: Shutterstock
A Norwegian aircraft at Gatwick in 2019
Photo: Shutterstock

The airline pilots’ union has demanded that Norwegian, the low cost carrier that recently emerged from bankruptcy, should pay the salaries of dismissed UK pilots.

Norwegian filed for bankruptcy late in November 2020 after the Norwegian government decided not to extend further state aid to the airline. Its subsidiary Norwegian Air Resources UK (NAR) was shut down in January this year, causing the redundancy of 1,100 pilots and crew at Gatwick.

The airline restructured and relaunched with fewer aircraft and routes in May 2021.

On 1 February redundant UK employees were told by liquidator KPMG that they would not be paid their owed salary, holiday or notice pay, but could claim part of their pay arrears from the UK government.

The British Pilots’ Association (Balpa) has renewed demands that Norwegian cover unpaid salaries for dismissed British pilots.

The move comes a few days after Norway’s industry minister said the airline showed poor judgement when it paid bonuses to top management just weeks after emerging from government-backed bankruptcy proceedings.

To help save Norwegian from collapse, the Norwegian government in mid-2020 provided the carrier with loan guarantees of three billion Norwegian krone (£250m) and later another hybrid loan to the tune of about £125m.

But soon after the restructuring, Norwegian began paying out bonuses of some 30 million Norwegian krone (about £2.5m) combined to managers as a reward for saving the company.

“That shows poor judgment,” minister of trade and industry Iselin Nyboe said in a statement. “The board and chief executive Geir Karlsen have a big job ahead of them in explaining this and rebuilding the reputation of Norwegian.”

Balpa has said it wants “fair early retirement compensation” for Norwegian’s former pilots at the disused base at Gatwick in London.

But the airline told Norwegian online news provider E24 last week that the UK union did not have a valid claim. A spokesperson said: “The points raised are not new and do not change the circumstances of NAR UK’s bankruptcy at the beginning of the year. When it became clear that Norwegian would no longer operate intercontinental flights, NAR UK went bankrupt because there was no longer a financial basis for the company.”

Our Government promised sector specific support. 1000’s of redundancies later the aviation industry is reliant on a furlough scheme due to end in September.

The scheme needs to be extended to provide some form of protection for pilots and their families (1/2) pic.twitter.com/4bqtC6n90T

— BALPA (@BALPApilots) July 2, 2021

Meanwhile, the union is continuing to appeal to the government to make a targeted intervention to support the airline industry in the UK.

Balpa rep Craig Wilson told the Scottish Parliament last week on the union’s Travel Day of Action last week: “Let’s be very clear, people’s livelihoods are at risk, an entire industry is at risk. Pilots will continue to pressure the UK government to save jobs by extending furlough and providing direct support to airlines and airports.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Balpa was contacted on 5 July by Personnel Today for further comment.

HR roles in the travel and transport on Personnel Today


Browse more HR roles in the travel and transport sector

Adam McCulloch

Adam McCulloch first worked for Personnel Today magazine in the early 1990s as a sub editor. He rejoined Personnel Today as a writer in 2017, covering all aspects of HR but with a special interest in diversity, social mobility and industrial relations. He has ventured beyond the HR realm to work as a freelance writer and production editor in sectors including travel (The Guardian), aviation (Flight International), agriculture (Farmers' Weekly), music (Jazzwise), theatre (The Stage) and social work (Community Care). He is also the author of KentWalksNearLondon. Adam first became interested in industrial relations after witnessing an exchange between Arthur Scargill and National Coal Board chairman Ian McGregor in 1984, while working as a temp in facilities at the NCB, carrying extra chairs into a conference room!

previous post
Strip restaurants of Michelin stars for bullying, says union
next post
NHS ‘Catch-22’ scenario could lead to doctor shortage

You may also like

Microsoft to cut 9,000 jobs globally as role...

3 Jul 2025

Top 10 HR questions June 2025: Redundancy consultation

2 Jul 2025

Bioethanol plant closure could lead to 4,000 job...

26 Jun 2025

Graduate jobs this summer ‘will be toughest since...

25 Jun 2025

Allianz to cut 650 jobs in the UK

19 Jun 2025

The employer strikes back: the rise of ‘quiet...

13 Jun 2025

Former employees of Wilko gain £2m payout

13 Jun 2025

Redundancies boost candidate availability at fastest pace since...

13 Jun 2025

20,000 employees agree to leave Volkswagen by 2030

5 Jun 2025

Volvo to cut around 3,000 roles in restructure

27 May 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+