Intressant

Norwegian Air hopes to get US government approval soon to operate more flights to US cities from Europe despite opposition from US and European unions.
The carrier is looking to increase flights between Europe and the United States with a new unit based in Ireland. The subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, was certified as an air carrier by the Irish government last month, but still requires approval as a foreign carrier from the US Department of Transportation.
The US clearance is the remaining hurdle Norwegian faces to operating the flights, which would be governed by an open-skies agreement between the United States and the European Union.
The carrier already flies to US cities such as New York and Fort Lauderdale. The flights Norwegian plans to operate under its new unit include a service between London Gatwick and New York.
“We don’t expect that the United States will treat Norwegian differently,” chief executive Bjorn Kjos said.
An official with the US Department of Transportation said in an emailed response that Norwegian’s application was being considered, but gave few further details.
“We are in the midst of a contested proceeding and we are not in a position to address timing issues at this time,” the official said.
US unions have criticised Norwegian’s plan, saying the carrier is looking to operate these longer-haul flights as an Irish airline in a bid to sidestep Norway’s more stringent employment laws. US airlines have also expressed concern about the plan.
The Air Line Pilots Association, European Cockpit Association and AFL-CIO unions have urged the United States to deny Norwegian’s application.
Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents nearly 50,000 pilots in the United States and Canada, told an aviation gathering in Washington this week that Norwegian’s Irish unit was created to allow the company to reduce standards for workers.
By doing so, the airline was able to gain an unfair advantage over European and US carriers in attracting passengers flying to and from the United States, Moak said.
This week, 38 US senators sent a letter urging the transportation agency to make sure the Norwegian arrangement does not undermine a provision of the open-skies agreement that suggests new flight opportunities spurred by the pact should uphold high labour standards.
“We support competition and increased consumer choice, but not by unfairly disadvantaging US airlines or threatening US jobs,” the March 12 letter from the senators states.
Kjos said the unions that oppose his carrier’s plans were merely looking out for their own interests.
“They are just trying to stop competition because they hate to see that people are able to get low fares across the Atlantic,” he said. “The fares are way too high across the Atlantic.”
Kjos said he felt Norwegian was operating within parameters of the open-skies agreement between the EU and United States in setting up its long-haul operations.
He said he welcomed plans by any other low-fare carriers that might also want to add flights between the United States and Europe. “We should always have as much competition as possible,” Kjos said.