Flight Crew Management Case Study: Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian ramps up their cabin crew recruitment and optimises their HR services with AeroProfessional

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Volume Recruitment

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Cabin Crew Recruitment

At a Glance...

Norwegian Air Shuttle, commonly known as Norwegian, is a low-cost carrier founded in 1993 in Oslo, Norway. Since its establishment, it has become Norway’s largest airline and one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers. AeroProfessional has played a significant role in supporting Norwegian’s operational growth. In 2013, the airline engaged AeroProfessional to deliver bespoke full-service HR and flight crew management solutions for the hiring and contracting of cabin crew.

The Situation...

In 2012, Norwegian planned to expand operations into a new country where it had limited familiarity with local employment law and HR regulations. At the same time, the airline required high volume cabin crew recruitment to support the new base. To ensure a compliant recruitment process and effective payroll management, including social security, tax obligations and wider employer compliance, Norwegian chose to outsource its cabin crew hiring and HR management to a specialist aviation recruitment and flight crew management provider.

AeroProfessional delivers high volume aviation recruitment and outsourced HR solutions across international markets, supporting airlines with compliant employment structures, payroll administration and crew contracting. With extensive experience in flight crew management, AeroProfessional provides tailored solutions aligned to local regulatory frameworks and operational requirements.

Norwegian engaged AeroProfessional in 2012 to manage its cabin crew recruitment and HR requirements within the new market. Drawing on its aviation recruitment expertise and full service HR management capability, AeroProfessional implemented a bespoke flight crew management solution designed to support scalable growth and long term operational stability.

The Solution...

Once Norwegian had communicated its requirements, AeroProfessional initiated the search and selection process across its established cabin crew candidate network and targeted external marketing channels. Shortlisted applicants progressed to a structured assessment stage designed and managed by AeroProfessional specifically for cabin crew evaluation, ensuring alignment with operational standards and airline expectations.

Following a rigorous aviation compliant background and security screening process, successful candidates were formally appointed as Norwegian cabin crew. The recruitment process ensured that selected crew met both regulatory and operational requirements for deployment at the new base.

Norwegian retained full operational control of its cabin crew, while AeroProfessional managed all HR related functions. These included onboarding, payroll administration, employee management, annual leave, wellbeing and retention, sickness management and industrial relations. This full service flight crew management model provided stability, compliance and workforce continuity throughout the airline’s expansion.

The Results...

Since partnering with AeroProfessional in 2013, Norwegian experienced sustained growth, increasing its cabin crew headcount from 50 to more than 250. Through ongoing high volume recruitment and outsourced HR support, Norwegian successfully expanded operations at its London Gatwick base. AeroProfessional played a key role in managing airport ID pass applications, a critical and often time consuming element of the cabin crew onboarding process.

The long term collaboration between Norwegian and AeroProfessional established a stable and trusted flight crew management partnership. Consistent recruitment delivery, compliant HR administration and responsive workforce support enabled Norwegian to scale operations efficiently, including meeting short notice hiring requirements when operational demand required rapid crew deployment.