Norwegian Air International can't really even be called Norwegian because they operate and have certifications in multiple countries. Their headquarters is in Dublin, Ireland, which is part of the EU, and allows them to benefit from various EU operations. Norway is not a member of the EU and has strict labor laws that do not align with NAI's operations. Their website says they have operational bases in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. They hire most employees through a hiring firm in Thailand which means they are taking part in imported labor. Their destinations include flights all over Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Thailand, and some to the U.S.
http://www.norwegian.com/en/
U.S. Carriers are opposed to Norwegian Air International operating routes into the U.S. because to compete with their low fares, U.S. carriers would have to prices, which leads to cutting services. This could potentially lead to many U.S. carriers having to lay off employees, meaning many American pilots would lose their job. Also, the question of who to investigate if there were to be an accident involving NAI is unclear due to the major operations and subsidiaries in multiple countries.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/05/21/safety-concerns-shadow-discount-norwegian-airline-your-say/9396643/
It seems as though Norwegian Air finds as many loops holes as possible in order to operate cheaply and with little disregard for safety and customer service. In 2013 Norwegian Air received criticism for a very high percentage of flight delays which resulted in many unsatisfied customers. Unfortunately there is not much we can do until we can prove NAI is doing something unsafe or illegal.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/05/18/norwegian-air-cheap-flights-pilots-union-editorials-debates/9255831/
Due to the complexity of NAI's operations their request to operate in the U.S. has been temporarily denied. I agree that the U.S shouldn't allow NAI to operate into the U.S. because we would eventually be hurting our own economy since our airlines would not be able to compete with their low fares.
NAI's structure could help the economy in the us. Lower fair prices do not always mean lower income for the crew and pilots. This can be achieved by introducing more routes, more crew and pilots as well as more destinations to stay competitive and still have higher profits than before.
ReplyDeleteIf you raise your revenue (by selling more tickets, flying more flight and more routes and more air cargo) your profit margin gets reduced and this is most likely what US carriers are so skeptical about. Carriers are afraid, like anyone else, of changes. These can be bad or great and NAI's structure is pretty well thought out and looks like it's working out great for them since they are adding routes, aircraft, pilots, and greound crew.
NAI even though it's origin in Ireland still has to conform to the US safety standards set by the FAA.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the information you provided and backed it up with many sources. The sad fact is that NAI did find a loop hole to operate here in the US. As long as they abide by our laws, there isn't much we can do.
ReplyDelete