Norwegian air plans to hire US pilots for Florida 787 push

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the focus of protests by US carriers and unions over labour practices, plans to recruit and hire commercial airline pilots in the country as the carrier expands flights out of Florida. Norwegian, supported by a fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, will be the only European airline to hire US-based pilots, according to a statement Monday from the Fornebu, Norway-based carrier. With bases in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and New York, the company brought on US flight attendants starting in 2013 and plans to have more than 500 by the end of this year. The airline has been expanding long-haul routes linking Europe with North America, and its top executive said in a recent interview that the company is in talks for possible routes to Argentina. The carrier, once limited to operating low-cost European flights, plans a fleet of 42 Dreamliners by 2020 and will begin taking delivery of the long-range version of Airbus Group's A321 jetliner in 2019. "Hiring American pilots for our long-haul operation has been one of Norwegian's goals since launching our trans-Atlantic service three years ago, and we are thrilled that we are finally able to do so," said COO Asgeir Nyseth. The airline plans to add more routes from the US this year and in 2017. <br/>