After more than two years in limbo, the Ireland based unit of Norwegian Air has been granted tentative approval to operate low cost transatlantic flights to Europe.
The approval process had been held up over strong opposition by labor unions and US airlines claiming the airline established a base in Ireland simply to circumvent labor laws.
After Norwegian said it would only employ US and European based crew on flights, regulators at the Department of Transportation approved the application.
DOT said there was no legal argument to deny the application based on current rules.
"Norwegian Air International appears to meet DOT’s normal standards for award of a permit and that there appears to be no legal basis to deny NAI’s application," a DOT statement said.
Still, DOT has opened up a three-week public consultation period to take comments before it will officially give the green light.
The decision was called ‘an affront to fair competition’ by Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association.
"It will allow Norwegian to expand our US. operations. Our continued presence in the US will create thousands of jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars of economic activity for the Group’s US destinations," said CEO Bjorn Kjos of Norwegian Air.
If it receives final approval NAI expects to start flying from Cork to Boston by the year-end.
