Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s operational approval of Norwegian Air International.
“U.S. airline pilots are extremely disappointed that the Federal Aviation Administration has given operational approval to Norwegian Air International allowing it to fly to the United States with a business plan that violates a U.S. trade agreement and hurts American workers.
“Given President Trump’s stand on U.S. jobs and pledge to put ‘America First,’ we encourage him to defend a fair marketplace for U.S. workers and bring a quick end to the development of foreign flag-of-convenience airlines. The first step is to overturn the Obama administration’s grant of a permit to Norwegian Air International. NAI’s authority permit should be revoked or amended to prevent it from gaining a competitive leg up in the marketplace and threatening the U.S. airline industry, which is vital to our country’s economy, defense, and workforce.
“The future of the U.S. airline industry hinges on U.S. airlines’ ability to compete internationally. Business models such as NAI’s threaten an industry that fuels the U.S. economy, transports passengers and cargo to help small U.S. businesses and global corporations prosper, and provides thousands of U.S. jobs for airline employees. They should be stopped.”
