THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Cheri Bustos 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congresswoman Bustos: 

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 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 your letter and my response in Docket 

DOT -OST -20 13-0204, 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. 

Sincerely, 

Anthony R. Foxx 
CHERI BUSTOS I 7TH D ISTRICT. ILLJNOIS 

cteongre£)£) of tbe mtniteb ~tate£) 

f!)ouse of ~epresentatibes 

'mlnsbington, 1JBQC 20515-1317 

March 17, 2014 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Secretary Foxx: 

W ASHINGTON O FFICE: ( 202) 2 25-5905 

I LLINOIS O FFICE: ( 309) 786-3 406 

HTTP://BUSTOS.HOUSE.GOV 

I write to express concerns with Norwegian Air International Limited's (NAI) application for a foreign air 

carrier permit. As you know, approval of the permit would allow NAIto provide commercial air service 

to and from the United States. The Department ofTransportation (DOT) is tasked with evaluating the 

airline's competitive positions to ensure equality with U.S. air carriers and determining whether such 

service would be in the public interest. I am concerned that NAI's application seeks to undercut 

employment laws and gain an unfair advantage over U.S. carriers. 

It is my understanding that, despite lacking operations in Ireland, NAI intends to operate as an Irish 

airline in order to circumvent Norway's labor laws. Doing so will allow the airline to outsource pilots and 

flight crews through a Southeast Asia-based company governed by Singapore law. The arrangement 

would allow Singapore's inferior wage requirement and working condition standards to apply to NAI's 

flight crews. 

Not only would NAI's operating model put U.S. carriers, and their employees, at a competitive 

disadvantage, it could also jeopardize safety. Without operations through Ireland, it is unclear how the 

Irish Aviation Authority will provide adequate safety oversight to NAI. 

It appears as though NAI's intention is to exploit international legal and regulatory loopholes in order to 

gain an unfair competitive advantage over U.S. airlines. Approval of NAI's application would jeopardize 

American jobs and safety, and I do not believe it is in the public interest. I respectfully request that DOT 

fully consider these factors as it reviews NAI's foreign air carrier permit application. Thank you for your 

attention to this request and I look forward to working with you on this important matter. 

Sincerely, 

Cheri Bustos 

Member of Congress 

s 10-140325-012 
Ti)ouse of l\epreS'entatibes 

~lls'binnton, illCIC 20515-1317 

O FFICIAL BUSINESS 

PAINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 

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The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

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