THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Brian Higgins 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Higgins: 

April 04, 2014 

Thank you for your letter regarding the application ofNorwegian Air International Limited 

(NAI) for authority to conduct U.S. services. 

Given that a number of interested parties have filed responsive pleadings to NAI's application 

and this matter is currently pending before the Depa1tment, I am sure you understand that I 

cannot comment on the merits ofNAI's application. I assure you, however, that we will give full 

and careful consideration to all of the pleadings filed on the record before we reach a 

determination in this matter. 

As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and my response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2013-0204, as a contact outside the record ofthis case. You may track the progress 

ofthis case and view the publicly available documents filed in the docket by accessing the 

Federal Docket Management System at www.regulations.gov and searching for Docket 

DOT-OST-2013-0204. 

I hope this information is helpful. 

Sincerely, 

Anthony R. Foxx 
BRIAN HIGGINS 

26TH DISTRICT, NEW YORK 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY 

RANKING MEMBER 

SuecOMMITIEE ON 

COUNTERTERRORISM AND INTELLIGENCE 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, 

RESPONSE, AND COMMUNICATIONS 

cteongregg of tbe Wntteb ~tateg 

J)ou~e of l\epre~entatibe~ 

U:asbington, 1!lUC 20515-3226 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE 

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE, 

EURASIA, AND EMERGING THREATS 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

Department ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington DC, 20590 

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

March 24, 2014 

2459 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON, DC 20515 

(202) 225-3306 

(202) 226-0347 (FAX) 

726 EXCHANGE STREET 

SUITE 601 

BUFFALO, NY 14210 

(716) 852-3501 

(716) 852-3929 (FAX) 

640 PARK PLACE 

NIAGARA FALLS, NY 14301 

(716) 282-1274 

(716) 282-2479 (FAX) 

higgins.house.gov 

I write to express concern regarding Norwegian Air International Limited's (NAI) application 

before the Department of Transportation to begin operating in the United States as a foreign air 

carrier. As you may know, NAI has planned an unusual operational structure that may allow it to 

circumvent critical labor and safety regulations. 

Despite being based in Norway, NAI recently obtained an operating license from Ireland, and it 

intends to base its long haul operation there. Doing so would enable NAIto outsource its 

operations and hire less expensive workers based in Thailand and Singapore. 

This business model could result in substandard wages and reduced working conditions. It also 

raises questions regarding how the Irish Aviation Authority would be able to provide appropriate 

safety oversight when neither the airline nor its aircraft will operate through Ireland. As an 

advocate for av~~tion safety who has fought to enact critical reforms, I find these implications 

especially disconcerting. 

Given these unscrupulous and potentially unsafe practices, and your department's mandate to 

encourage "fair wages and working conditions" and to strengthen ''the competitive position of 

[U.S.] air carriers to at least ensure equality with foreign air carriers," I urge you to reject NAI's 

application. 

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. 

s 10-140324-009 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER