THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Patrick E. Murphy 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Murphy: 

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 parties have fi led responsive pleadings to NAI's application 

and this matter is currently pendi ng before the Department, 1 am sure you understand that I 

cannot comment on the merits of NAI'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 an1 placing a copy of your letter and my response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2013-0204, as a contact outsi.de 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-20 13-0204. 

I hope this information is helpful. 

Sincerely, 

Anthony ~ 
PATRICK E. MURPHY 

18TH O!S"TRICT, FLORIDA 

WASHINGTON OfFICE: 

1517 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON, DC 20 515 

(202) 225-302.6 

FAX: (202) 225-8398 

www.palrickmurphy.house.gov 

May 22,2014 

Secretary Anthony Foxx 

(!Congress of tbe Wniteb $tates 

T!'ouse of ll\epresentnttbe£5 

Wmfm)bingtou, 11\tlt 20515-0918 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary Foxx: 

COMMITTEES 

FINANCIAL SERVICES 

SUBCOMMITTEES: 

FINANCIAL iNSTffU110NS A NO 

CONsUMER CAE!Ofl 

MONETARY Poucv ANll TRAOf 

SMALL BUSINESS 

SUBCOMMITTEE: 

RANKING MEMBER, AGAICIJLTUHE, 

ENERGY, ANI> T HAOE 

I write to you today to express my deep reservations about Norwegian Air International 

Limited's (NAI) application for a foreign air canier permit. If approved, this application would 

allow NAIto provide passenger air service between the United States and Not.way (as well as 

other European Union nations) without adhering to either country's labor laws. 

Despite its name and its parent company, Norwegian Air Shuttle's, incorporation in Norway, 

NAI holds an Air Operator's Cettificate (AOC) :fi:om Ireland. By establishing NAI in Ireland, 

the airline can circumvent both Norway's and the United States' heightened labor standards. 

Instead, NAI can operate under individual employment contracts under the home country rules of 

its flight crews, which it has hired from Singapore. As a result, NAI can pay its pilots and crews 

lower wages than other airlines while providing them with inferior working conditions. 

This business model undermines U.S. and Norwegian labor standards, while the "good actors" 

who comply with these regulations are placed at an unfair competitive disadvantage. If this 

scheme is allowed to succeed, it will encourage other foreign airlines to take advantage of the 

same loophole to undercut U.S.:-owned airlines, costing Americans their jobs and the airline 

industry its competitiveness. Accordingly, approval ofNAPs application would be inconsistent 

with the Congressionally-established public interest as codified in the aviation statues, and it 

undermines the EU-U.S. Air Transport Agreement. 

s 10-140527-008 

PRINTED ON RECYClED PAFER 
Before approving NAI's application for a foreign air canier permit, I ask that you carefully 

consider these concems and rule in accordance with the public's best interest. Thank you for 

your attention to this matter and I look forward to working with you. 

Sincerely, 

Patrick E. Murphy 

MEMBER OF CONGRESS 

s 10-140527-008