US should deny market access to Norwegian budget airline - lawmaker

The chairman of the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday urged the Biden administration to deny a permit for a new low-cost Norwegian carrier to enter the domestic market. Representative Peter DeFazio, in a statement released ahead of a hearing Thursday, urged Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to deny Norse Atlantic permission to enter the US market. DeFazio argued the “airline was ‘Norwegian’ in name only and established itself in Ireland under a flag of convenience to avoid Norway’s strong labor protections.” Last week, Reuters reported the budget airline plans to fly from US destinations such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami to European cities including London, Paris and Oslo. Bjoern Kjos, founder and former CEO of Norwegian Air, holds a 15% stake in Norse Atlantic, which is majority owned by Bjoern Tore Larsen, a co-founder of staffing company OSM Aviation, Norse Atlantic Airways said in a statement announcing the new carrier last week.<br/>