DOT issues Norwegian Air tentative OK for more flights between Europe and the United States. The European discount airline finally has gained a tentative approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday. The approval for the Ireland based subsidiary of Norwegian Air has been a long fight. The application has been bombarded by multiple objections from other U.S. based airlines and their unions. The regulatory agency felt it could no longer delay the approval though, as the discount carrier has met all the DOT’s standards for its permit to be issued. The department stated that it did consult with the Department of Justice and State Department before it issued the ruling. Norwegian Air Group CEO Bjorn Kjos released a statement that “A final approval, based on the Open Skies Agreement between the U.S. and E.U. will be a win for consumers and the economies on both sides of the Atlantic.” Norwegian Air Shuttle had complained about the continued delays in the process before the DOT issues Norwegian Air tentative OK.
DOT issues Norwegian Air tentative OK despite union objections
The delay in the approval from the U.S. was mainly due to the objections of rival airlines and their unions. They claimed that the plan by Norwegian Air to setup a subsidiary in Ireland was a thinly veiled plan to evade the wage and work standard laws for pilots and cabin crews in its home base of Norway. The Air Line Pilots Association has claimed that the Norwegian subsidiary is planning to hire pilots and crew through a Singapore based company. The Air Line Pilots Association is the largest pilot union in the U.S. The European based discount carrier has stated that it plans to hire hundreds of U.S. based crew members. The DOT has stated that the issues brought up by the U.S. based labor groups warranted them proceeding with caution. However, in the end the claims made by the union could not be substantiated.
Image from www.norwegian.com/us