ALPA filed a lawsuit today to overturn the Obama administration’s unfathomable decision to permit Norwegian Air International (NAI) to fly to and from the United States. As part of the continuing efforts to reverse the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) misguided ruling that will negatively alter the future of the U.S. airline industry, ALPA and several other U.S. labor groups representing more than 100,000 aviation workers filed a petition for review of DOT’s decision in the U.S. court of appeals.

Have a New Drone in Your Home after the Holidays?

You’re not alone. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently reported that more than 616,000 owners of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), have participated in the first year of the FAA’s online registration program. ALPA continues to urge the FAA to require registration at the “point of sale,” which would allow all, not just some, UAS owners to become informed and engaged in keeping themselves and their community safe when they fly a UAS.

In a clear bait and switch for U.S. workers, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued an egregious decision at the end of the day on December 2––an order granting Norwegian Air International (NAI) a foreign air carrier permit to serve the United States under the U.S.–EU Air Transport Agreement (ATA). Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS), NAI’s parent company, has left no doubt that the NAI business model was designed expressly to lower labor standards—an outcome specifically prohibited by the ATA’s labor article.

Across North America this week, drones have once again been receiving much media attention—from a possible sighting by a Canadian pilot at 9,000 feet to thousands gathering in California to discuss the commercial applications of UAS technology. All the while, ALPA continues to be a recognized leader in calling for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

ICYMI: Skift reports on ALPA’s call for Norwegian to commit to the U.S. Department of Transportation that it will put all of its pilots on contracts in the country where the airline holds its operating certificates or the United States.