The Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association (SWAPA) strongly condemns the short-sighted, under-cover-of-darkness decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to approve a foreign air carrier permit to Norwegian Air International (NAI). This anti-worker decision runs afoul of the very rules that the Obama Administration itself negotiated and championed only six years ago.
By approving NAI’s application despite it being in direct violation of Article 17 bis of the EU-US Open Skies Agreement, the Obama Administration has unilaterally undermined every trade agreement the U.S. has ever signed. With this decision, Norwegian Air International will possess an unparalleled advantage over U.S. carriers if allowed to proceed with its Flag of Convenience scheme. SWAPA condemns the DOT decision and calls upon President-elect Trump to preserve a fair and level playing field for U.S. workers by denying NAI the Foreign Carrier Permit unjustly awarded by President Obama.
