Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in response to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) rejection of Norwegian Air UK’s (NAUK) foreign air carrier permit exemption application:

“We are pleased the U.S. Department of Transportation has rejected the application of Norwegian Air UK (NAUK) for a foreign air carrier permit exemption. This is a sound decision that boosts our continuing effort to ensure that Norwegian Air, either through NAUK or its Ireland-based Norwegian Air International (NAI), isn’t allowed to game our trade rules and gain an unfair advantage in the transatlantic market over its U.S. and European competitors that play by the rules.

“Now that Norwegian Air’s exemption application has been dismissed, the company’s business model – described by DOT as ‘novel and complex’ – will face the careful scrutiny it deserves.  Norwegian Air should not be permitted to create shell subsidiaries designed to undermine labor standards and take advantage of lax employment and tax laws.

“Today the DOT stood up for fair competition and middle class airline jobs. Now we urge the Administration to finish the job by denying NAI’s application to launch new air service into the United States.”

CONTACT: Jonna Huseman, jonnah@ttd.org, 202-628-9262