### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON , DC 20590

The Honorable Peter A

. DeFazio U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman DeFazio: July 

### 10, 2014

Thank you for your letter regarding the application ofNorwegian Air International Limited (NAI) for authority to conduct U.S

. services , in which you reference a letter sent from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) , dated April17, 2014

. The referenced letter expresses concern about the possible commercial damage to NAI owing to the length ofNAI's FAA approval process. As you note in your letter, a number of interested parties have filed responsive pleadings to NAI's application and the matter is currently pending before the Department. While I cannot comment on the merits ofNAI's application , I assure you once again that, in reaching a determination in this matter, we will give fu ll and careful consideration to all ofthe pleadings filed on the official record , and that any decision we reach w ill be based on the merits ofthe case as determined on that record. As is our standard practice, I am also placing a copy of your letter and my response in the Docket as a contact outside the record of this case. You may continue to track the progress ofthis case and view the publicly avai lable documents filed in the docket by access ing the Federal Docket Management System at www.regulations.gov and sear ching for Docket DOT-OST -2013-0204. I hope this information is helpful.

Anthony R. FoxxPETER A. DEFAZIO 4TH DISTRICT, OREGON NATURAL RESOURCES RANKING MEMBER TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

SUBCOMMITTEES:

AVIATION HIGHWAYS AND TRANSIT RAILROADS

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The Honorable Anthony Foxx U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Foxx: May 8, 2014 PLEASE RESPOND TO: 0 2134 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-3704 (202) 225-6416 0

0 0 0 405 EAST 8TH AVENUE, #2030 EUGENE, OR 97401

(541) 465-6732 1-800-944-9603 125 CENTRAL AVENUE, #350

Coos BAY, OR 97420

(541) 269-2609 612 SE JACKSON STREET, #9

ROSEBURG, OR 97470

(541) 440-3523 defazio.house.gov

I first wrote to you in December to express my deep concern over the application before your Department by Norwegian Air International Limited (NAI) for exemption authority and a foreign air carrier permit. I am concerned by recent actions by proponents ofthis application (Docket DOT-OST-2013-0204) and believe its approval would not be in the public interest. It has been brought to my attention that the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dated April 17, 2014 expressing concern about the length ofFAA's approval process and the commercial damage it is apparently causing NAI. It also urges Administrator Heurta to "use [his] good office to address this issue with a view to positively resolving the matter as soon as possible." This type ofcommunication from an Irish safety regulator to their U.S. counterpart regarding a pending Department ofTransportation (DOT) process is misguided and appears to indicate a fundamental misunderstanding ofthe requirements in place to ensure foreign air carriers maintain the high standards necessary to operate within the U.S. NAI's application to serve the U.S. is the subject of a pending- and contestedproceeding at the DOT. NAI's application is opposed by a host oftransatlantic stakeholders, including Delta, United, American, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines System, the AFL-CIO, the Air Line Pilots Association and a range of other airline labor groups. As you are well aware, a significant number ofmy colleagues have also expressed concern about NAI.' s application. The "exceptional delay" to which the IAA letter refers is the statutorily-mandated proceeding at DOT, and the timing ofthat proceeding is an inappropriate issue to raise with FAA. Equally inappropriate is the IAA' s suggestion that the FAA should lobby DOT in support of a foreign air carrier permit applicant. I urge you to make your decision based on the merits of the case and all the input received, and not to be pressured by proponents ofthe application. Thank you for your consideration ofthis request. Sincerely,

# P~(!J~ Member of Congress 

# s 10-140508-028 THIS STATIONERY PRINTED ON PAPER MADE WITH RECYCLED FIBERS