THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Elizabeth H. Esty 

U.S. House ofRepresentatives 

Washington, DC 205 15 

Dear Congresswoman Esty: 

April 03, 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 Department, 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 yo ur letter and my response in Docket 

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

of this case and view the publicly available documents fi led 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, 
ELIZABETH H ESTY 5TH OlsTRlCT, CONHECnCUT 

COMMITTEE ON 

;PORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE 

SUUCC»JUITT£E ON 

HIGHWAYS AND TRANSIT 

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OADS, PtPEl.IH£S AIID HAzARDOUS MATEruAl.S 

SuBCOIJWlTEE Otl 

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COMMITTEE ON 

ENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

~ongress of tbe ilniteb ~tates 

~ouse of 31\tpresentatibeg 

•nsbington. iD€ 20515-0705 

:or.v..\\nEE ON RESEARCH AND TECHHOLOGY 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Secretary F oxx: 

February 14,2014 

DISTRICT OFFlCE 

114 WEST MAll• Sma, SUJTE 208 

New BRITMl, CT 06051 

(860) 223-8412 

WASHINGTON OFFtCE 

509 CAtmON HOUSE OFFICE BUI\OiffG 

WASHit~GTON, DC 20515 

(202) 225-4476 

www.esty.house.gov 

Twlltor.comiRopEsty 

Facobook.com/RapEsty 

Youlubo.comiRepEsty 

l write regarding Norwegian Air International's (NAI) application for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit. I 

understand you will be making a determination on NAI's application in the near future, and I urge you to 

reject it, as the arrangement proposed in the application violates U.S. aviation statutes and the U.S.-European 

Union Air Transport Agreement (ATA). 

As you know, NAI, a subsidiary of Norway-based Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS), is seeking to operate as an 

Irish airline, despite being based out of Norway. Furthermore, NAI will use a third-party hiring company to 

contract with the pilots and cabin crew. By operating as an Irish airline and hiring employees through a thirdparty contractor, NAI will be able to circumvent Norwegian labor laws and employment standards and 

undercut competition. This employment scheme runs counter to the Department ofTransportation1S (DOT) 

duty to ensure that foreign air transportation permitted in the U.S. is in the public interest, which includes 

ensuring equality with foreign air carriers and encouraging fair wages and working conditions ( 49 U.S.C. 

§§41302, 40101(a)(5) and (a){IS)). It is of paramount importance that pilots and crew are paid wages that 

reflect the high level of training and professionalism associated with their jobs. 

The U.S.-European Union Air Transport Agreement (AT A) states that "the opportunities created by the 

Agreement are not intended to undennine labor standards or the labor-related rights and principles contained 

in the Parties' respective laws." I urge you to carefully examine NAI's Foreign Carrier Penn it application to 

ensure that NAI is not in violation of the agreed-upon principles of the AT A. I appreciate your thoughtful 

consideration of this important issue, and I look forward to your decision. 

510-140219-024 

Sincerely, 

izabeth H. Esty 

Member of Congress 

PRlfiTEO OU RECYCI.ED PAPER 

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