BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of )

)

NORWEGIAN AIR INTERANTIONAL ) Docket No. OST

- 2013

- 0204

LIMITED )

)

)

for an exemption under 49 U.S.C. § 40109 )

and a foreign air carrier permit pursuant to )

49 U.S.C. § 41301 (US

- EU Open Skies) )

)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESPONSE OF THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES PILOTS’ ASSOCIATION

TO MOTION OF NORWEGIAN AIR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

FOR LEAVE AND EXPEDITED TREATMENT

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Southwest Airlines Pilots ’ Association (“SWAPA”) is the exclusive bargaining

representative for the 8,000 pilots of Southwest Airlines who carry one out of every four dom estic

U.S. airline passengers. SWAPA has reviewed the M otion of Norwegian Air International Limited

(NAI) for L eave to File and Expedited Treatment (NAI Motion) and believes that NAI has not

resolved the underlying issues that merit a denial of NAI’s application for a foreign air carrier

permit.

Fundamentally, Norwegian Air International has not assuaged our concer ns that it is still an

attempt to seek authority to operate to the United States utilizing a flag

- of

- convenience strategy,

whereby a carrier chooses “which” set of regulations from “what” country it chooses to follow.

Setting precedent by which a carrier is allowed to “venue shop” and decide which rules will apply

to its operations is not a level playing field and would not meet the DOT ’ s stipulation for approving2

foreign air carrier permits

, specifically “strengthening the competitive position of air car riers to at

least ensure equality with foreign air carriers, including the attainment of the opportunity for air

carriers to maintain and increase their profitability in foreign air transportation” stipulation 49

U.S.C. §§ 40101(a)(15). Even though NAI h as stated it will use European a nd US pilots, as well as

employ these pilots with Norwegian Group, NAI has not addressed which labor laws it intends to

apply to its pilots and flight crew s or even the basic terms under which they will be e mployed. For

exa mple, NAI has not addressed whether its pilots and flight crews will work for Norw egian Group

on employment contracts or otherwise.

As long as these questions are unanswered

, NAI would appear to challenge DOT ’ s mandate

to encourage “fair wages and working conditions,” 49 U.S.C. § 40101(a)(5) when approving

Foreign Air Carrier Permits. For these reasons

, NAI’s application for a f oreign air carrier permit

must be DENIED

.

R e spe c tful l y submi t ted,

_______________________ _

Paul Jackson, President

Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association

pjackson@swapa.org3 CERTI F IC A TE O F S ER V ICE

I ce rti f y that I h a v e , on t h is 10th d a y of J un e , 201 5 , se r v e d the f o re g oi n g R e sponse of the

Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association to Mot i on of No r w e g ian Air I nte r n a t i on a l L i m i te d for

L ea v e a nd E x p e di t e d T rea t m e nt b y ca using a c o p y to be s e nt b y e l ec tronic mail t o the a ddr e sses

identifi e d b e low:

J osh R o manow

P e ter N e lson

Couns e l for No r w e g ian Air I nte r n a t i on a l

L i m i t e d

rom a now @ pi l lsbu r y l a w

. c om

p e te r .n e lson@p i l l sbu r y

l a w. c om

S teve Mor r is s e y

Thom a s B ol l ing

United A irlines

steve.morrissey@uni

ted.com

tho m a s.boll i n g @unit e d. c om

D a n W e iss

United A irlines

d a n.w e is s @unit e d. c om

S a s c ha V a n d e r B e l l e n

D e l t a Airlines

s a s c h a .v a n d e rb e l l e n @d e l ta. c om

Ho wa rd K a ss

U.S. Airw a y s

how a rd.k a ss@u s a irw a y s

. c om

Rob e rt W irick

F r a n c is H e il

Ho wa rd K a ss

Am e ri ca n A i rlines, I n c

. rob e rt.wi r ick @ aa

. c om

f ra n c is.heil @ aa

. c om

how a rd.k a ss @ aa

. c om Robert Land

S e nior V ice P r e sident of Gov e rnm e nt

A f f a irs a nd Asso c iation G e n e r a l C ouns e l

rob e rt.la n d@j e tb l u e

. c om

Russell E. P om m e r

Asso c iate G e n e r a l C oun s e l & S r. D i r ec tor

R e g ulato r y A f

f a irs

Atlas A ir I n c

.

rpomme r @ a t l a s a ir

. c om

C e l i ne C a nu

P hi l ip Von Schopp e nthau

Eu r op ea n Cockpit Asso c i a t i on

cc @ e u ro c o c kpi t .be

pvs@ e u r o c o c kpi t .be

Mal c om L

. B e n ge

Couns e l for No r th Ame r i ca n/ W o r ld Airw a y s

Z u c k e rt Scoutt & R a s e n b e r g e r, L

. L

. P

.

m l b e n g e @ z srl a w

. c om

J ohn M. All e n

Mi c h ae l W hi t a k e r

J e sse E l l iot

Dou g las Sc h w a b

Ni c holas Tsok

r is

J ohn Ch e n

Fe d e r a l Aviation Adm i nis t r a t i on

john.allen@ faa

. g ov

m i c h ae l.whi t a k e r @ f

a a

. gov

jess e

. e l l io t @ faa

. g ov

dou g las.s c h w a b@ f

aa

. g o v

nichol a s.t s okris@ faa

. g ov

john.ch e n@ f

a a

. g ov2

Anita Mosn e r

Je nnif e r N ow a k

Couns e l for UPS Holland & Kn i g ht

anita.mosner@hklaw.com

jenni fe r.no w a k@hkla w

. c om

N a n c y S

. S p a rks

B a i l e y L e op a rd

Fe d e r a l E x p re ss C o r

por a t ion

nsspa r ks@ fe d e x

. c om

g bleo p a rd @ f

e d e x

. c om

Russell Ba i l e y

J on a than Coh e n

Air L i n e P i l ots Associ a t i on, I

nt e rn a t i on a l

russ e l l .b a i le y @ a lpa.o r g

jonath a n. c oh e n @ a lpa.o r g

Ed wa rd W y

tk i nd

P r e sident, T ra nsport a t i on T ra d e s

D e p a rtme n t, A F L

- C I O

e dw @ t t d.o r g

Thom a s S . En g le Rob

N e wsome D e p a rtme n t of

S tate

e n g l e ts@s t a te

. g ov

n e wsom e r c @stat e

. g ov

c rist i n a s a @stat e

. g ov

P a ul G re tch

Rob e rt F inamo r e

B ri a n H e db e r g

R ee se D a vidson

Esta Rosenb e r g

B r e tt K r u g e r

U.S. D e p a rtme n t of T r a n sport a t i on

p a ul. g r e tch @ dot

. g ov

rob e rt. f inamo r e @dot

. g ov

b r ian.h e db er g @dot. g ov

r e e s e

. d a vidson@dot. g ov

e sta. r osen b er g @dot

. g ov

b re t t .kr u g e r @ dot

. g ov Da vid Ba t c h e lor

R e p re s e ntative, S i n g le E u r op ea n S k y ATM

R e s ea r c h J oint Und e rt a k i ng

d a vid.bat c h e lor@ s e s a rju

. e u

D a vid B er g

J a mes Cas e y

K e i t h Gl a tz

C ec i l ia B e th k e

Airlin e s for Am e ri c a

db e r g @ a irlines.o r g

jc a s e y @ a irlines. o r g

k g lat z @ a irlines.o r g

e b e thke @a i rlines.o r g

V e g a rd E i n a n

Vi c e P r e sident P a r a t

v e g a rd. e i n a n@p a r a t.com

Ch r is L y t l e

E x ec ut i ve Dir e c tor, Po r t of O a kland

c l y t l e @p o rto a kland. c om

K e nt G. G e o r g e

Dir e c tor of Avi a t i on

F o r t L a u d e rd a l e

- Hol l y w ood I nt e rn a t i on a l

Airp o rt

k g e o r g e @b r ow a rd. or g

Eu g e n e Alf

o r d

Air T r a nsport S e rv i ce s

e ug e n e

. a lfo r d@t r a d e

. g ov

Matth e w B a ldwin

Dir e c tor, A v i a t i on a nd I n te r n a t i on a l

T ra nsport A f

f a irs Eu r op ea n

Co m m i ss i on

matthe w .b a ldwin@e c

. e u rpo a

. e u

Edgar N. James

Allied Pilots Association

ejames@jamhoff.com3

Fe l i x L e inem a nn

F irst S ec r e ta r y , T r a nspo r t

f e l i x .lein e mann@ eea s.e u rop a

. e u

J ohn J

. Fea ron

Dir e c tor G e n e r a l of C i vil Avi a t i on

johnf ea ron @ dt t a s.ie

L e o V a r a dk a r

Minis t e r f or T ra nsp o rt, Tou r ism a nd S port

m i nis t e r @ dt t a s.ie

P hi l l i p B ro w n

F r a nk K r upp e n b ac h e r

G rea t e r O rl a ndo Avi a t i on Autho r i t y

pbro w n @ g o aa

. o r g

fk r upp e nb a c h e r @ g o aa

. o r g

B ud d y D y e r

M a y o r, Ci t y of O rl a ndo, F lorida

bud d y

. d y e r @c i t y o f

o r l a n do.n e t

G e o r g e A g u e l

P r e sident and CEO, V is i t Orl a ndo

g e o r g e

. a g u e l@visi t o r la n do. c om

T e r e sa J ac obs

M a y o r, O r a n g e Coun t y

, F lorida

m a y o r @o c fl.n e t

L e o S c h e f

e r

K e i t h M e u r l i n

W a shin g ton Airpo r ts Ta s k F o r c e

leo @ w a shi n g tonai r

ports

. c om

k e i t h@ wa shin g to n a irpo r t s.com Ottar Ostn e s

Dir e c tor G e n e r a l, M i nis t ry of T r a nsport a nd

Com m unic a t i ons

ot t a r.ostn e s@sd.d e p.no

S teph e n S hur

P r e sident, The T ra v e l T e c hnolo g y

Asso c iation

sshur@t ra v e l t ec h. o r g

J ohn H a nlon

S ec r e t a r y G e n e r a l, Euro p ea n L ow Fa r e s

Airline Asso c iation

john.hanlon@ E L

F A A

. c o m

Emm a nu e l l e Mai r e

DG MO V E

Eu r op ea n Co m m i ss i on

Emmanuelle.maire@ec.europa.eu

Ch a rl e s L o c ha

T ra v e l e rs U ni t e d

Ch a rl e s.leo c h a @tr a v e l e r sunited.o r g

P a ul R ud e n

Am e ri ca n S o c ie t y o f T rav e l Ag e nts

p r ud e n@ a sta. o r g

Con ce rn e d C i t iz e n for a Fa ir Am e ri c a

a shburn x x x @ g mail.com

info@airlineinfo.com

Ro g e r Dow

U.S. Tr a v e l Associ a t i on

rdo w @ustr a v e l. o r g