THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, DC 20590 

Mr. Eduardo Chagas 

General Secretary 

European Transport Workers' Federation 

Galerie Agora 

Rue du Marche aux Herbes 105, Bte 11 

B-1 000 Brussels 

BELGIUM 

Dear Mr. Chagas: 

June 20, 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 par1ies have filed responsive pleadings to NAI's application 

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

carmot 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 of this case. You may track the progress 

of this 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. 

Anthony R. F oxx 
Galerie Agora, 

Rue du Marche aux Herbes 105, Bte 11 

B-1000 Brussels 

Telephone +32 2 285 46 60 

Fax +32 2 280 08 17 

Email: etf@etf-europe.org 

www.etf-europe.org 

Brussels, May 23, 2014 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

European Transport Workers' Federation 

Federation Europeenne des Travailleurs des Transports 

Europaische Transportarbeiter-Foderalion 

Federaci6n Europea de los Trabajadores del Transporte 

RE: Norwegian Air International limited- Foreign Permit/Exemption- U.S.-EU Open Skies, DOT-OST2013-0204 

Dear Secretary Foxx, 

On behalf of more than 2.5 million workers of the European Transport Workers' Federation (EFT), 

representing 243 transport unions and 41 European countries, I would like to bring to your attention a 

resolution which was adopted at an April meeting of the International Transport Workers' Federation 

(ITF) calling for a full investigation of Norwegian Air International's (NAI) labor standards and business 

practices. The resolution calls upon the U.S. Department of Transportation, among others, to seek 

additional information about NAI's plans in order to protect airline labor from the adverse 

consequences of circumventing international labor laws. I have attached a copy of this resolution for 

your records. 

Additionally, I would like to point out that labor representatives are not alone in our concerns. Ketil 

Slovik-Oisen from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications recently ra ised his 

concern to the European Commission about the challenges facing European aviation that are created by 

fragmented operations between multiple countries. 

In its response to Minister Solvik-Oisen, the European Commission proposed further discussions at a 

June 2014 Member States Marek Access Committee meeting. 

The European Commission continues to discuss and evaluate whether disparities in immigration rules of 

the Member States pave the way for labor standards in global aviation that are founded on the lowest 

common denominators. Given these very serious and as-yet unresolved issues that pertain directly to 

the NAI application, I urge the Department either to deny NAI's application outright or defer action until 

questions pertaining to labor standards are thoroughly and properly addressed by all concerned 

stakeholders. 

Respectfully, 

Eduardo Chagas 

General Secretary 

enclosures 

cc: DOT-OST-2013-0204-0002 

President Lars Lindgren · SYNDICAl l\ 

Vice Presidents Alexander Kirchner EUROPEA:N ..;, 

Ekaterina Yordanova . TRADE UNION 

General Secretary Eduardo Chagas 

510-140523-016 
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;~~-·Dear Secretary Foxx, 

;~~;? Dear Director Gretch 

Fran~ois Ballestero <f.ballestero@etf-europe.org> 

Friday, May 23, 2014 9:01 AM 

Anthony Foxx (OST); Gretch, Paul (OST) 

Norwegian Air International Limited- Foreign Permit/Exemption- U.S.-EU Open Skies, DOTCST -2013-0204 

Letter to Foxx DOT Norwegian 230514.pdf 

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. ;f:;;On behalf of the European Transport Workers' Federation, please find enclosed an official letter on 

~:·:3~:·;the above-mentioned subject. The same letter has also been sent by express delivery to your office. 

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::: ~s\iYo~rs sincerely, 

· · Fran~ois Ballestero 

.~ .. ;:,. Political Secretary for Civil Aviation and Tourism 

d. ::~ -· European Transport Workers' Federation ~~{: : 

< _.· . Please fill in the low fares airlines survey 

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