The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) recent decision to deny Norwegian Air UK’s (NAUK) foreign air carrier permit exemption was certainly a milestone in ALPA’s drive to ensure fair competition for U.S. airlines despite foreign airlines repeat attempts to use unfair business practices, but the fight is far from over.

The key to ALPA’s long-term success in defending a free marketplace? The extraordinary commitment of our members, airline passengers, and air cargo shippers to holding the U.S. government accountable for enforcing U.S. international agreements; and both NAUK and NAI, subsidiaries of Norwegian Air, conflict with U.S. agreements. 

The facts are as follows:  Norwegian Air already has authority to serve the United States. NAUK has not supplied adequate information to DOT about its employment plans so its potential effect on U.S. jobs cannot be evaluated. For these reasons, ALPA opposed NAUK’s application for a foreign air carrier exemption, which would allow it to fly while DOT considers its permit application, and we continue to oppose its application for a permit.

This week, ALPA submitted two filings with other unions to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that reveal still more evidence as to why the U.S. government should uphold its air service agreements and defend a fair marketplace by denying Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) and Norwegian Air UK’s (NAUK) applications to fly to and from the United States.

John Porcari, who served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation during the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement negotiations, authored an opinion piece published today by the Huffington Post titled “Setting the record straight on Norwegian Air and the US-EU Open Skies Agreement.”

Porcari says, “A decision whether or not to grant operating authority based on compliance with Article 17 is at the heart of implementation of the ATA …This administration should be justifiably proud that appropriate labor provisions were negotiated into this agreement; let’s use them for their intended purpose.” Read more

Capt. Canoll in Aviation Daily: “A thunderous roar of opposition emerged from U.S. aviation workers and the public in the wake of the Transportation Department’s announcement April 15 of its tentative decision to approve Norwegian Air International’s application to fly to and from the U.S.”