THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASH IN GTON , D.C

. 20590

The Honorable Diana DeGette U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congresswoman DeGette: May 21,2014

Thank you for your letter regarding the application ofNorwegian Air International Limited (NAI) for authority to conduct U.S. services. Given that a number ofinterested 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 ofthe pleadings filed on the record before we reach a determination in this matter. As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy ofyour 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.

Anthony R. FoxxDI A N A D eGETTE 1 ST DIS TRICT, COLORADO 2368 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASH INGTON, DC 20515 12021 225-4431 FAX (2021 225-5657 

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D ISTR I CT O FF IC E : 600 GRANT STREET, Sum 202 DENVER, CO 80203 (303) 844-4988 FAX 13031844 -4996 

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### 20515-0601 http: //degette
.h ouse .gov

The Honorable Anthony Foxx Secretary U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue S.E. Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Foxx: April 22, 2014 CHIEF DEPUTY WHIP COMM ITTEE ON E NERGY AND COMMERCE R ANKING MEMBER SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERS I GHT AND I NVESTIGATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND THE E CONOMY SUBCOMM I TTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY

I write today regarding the pending exemption and foreign carrier air permit application filed by Norwegian Air International Limited (NAI)
. I urge you to ensure the application is in the public interest and complies with the U.S-EU Open Skies Agreement. When negotiating air transport agreements , the DOT has a legal obligation to consider the public interest, ensuring U
.S. air carriers are not treated differently from foreign carriers providing new air service
. The U.S-EU Open Skies Agreement created an international framework for air travel that is beneficial for both U
.S. and foreign carriers. Consumers now have a wider breadth ofoptions with more competitive fares, facilitating more business travel domestically and internationally. In tum, this grows our economy while creatingjobs based here in the U.S. Given these benefits, we want to ensure that NAI's application is consistent with the U.S-EU Open Skies Agreement. In 2007, an amendment to the U
. S-EU Open Skies Agreement was signed, underlining all parties' commitment to high labor standards and robust employment protections
. New language contained in Article 17 

### bis states "The opportunities created by the Agreement are not intended to undermine labour standards or the labour-related rights and principles contained in the Parties' respective laws. " This iterates a U.S
. commitment to maintain high standards oflabor laws across the aviation industry, and is in compliance with the DOT' s public interest obligations
. Specifically, NAI is currently seeking to provide new trans-Atlantic service between the U.S. and EU operating as an Irish air carrier. However, NAI's parent company is based in Norway, which is not an EU member nation, NAI itselfis owned by Norwegian citizens, and the airline is not currently planning to operate any flights using Irish airports
. In addition, we understand that NAI will contract part of its workforce through a recruitment company based in Singapore, raising questions regarding the employment protections those workers will receive
. We believe competition in the market is important, but do not wish to see it come at the expense ofU
.S. jobs
. 

# s 10-140428-026 PRINTED ON REC YCLED PAPER**~I I** As DOT continues to review NAI's application for an exemption and foreign air carrier permit, we urge you to ensure that U.S. and European air carriers are competing on a level playing field
. Upholding the high labor standards contained in the U.S-EU Open Skies Agreement is ofthe utmost importance, benefitting workers on both sides ofthe Atlantic. Thank you for your consideration ofthese important issues. Sincerely,

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# (JJ;t,JA Diana DeGette MEMBER OF CONGRESS



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