LNIDA quote: "NAI is a wholly owned by Norwegian its corporate HQ is in Ireland"
A letter dated June 1, 2015, from Bjorn Kjos to DOT Secretary Foxx to request a speedy resolution to the NAI US Permit application, is written on Norwegian company letterhead with the corporate address given as Fornebue, Norway, not Ireland. No reference is made to Ireland. Kjos states in the letter:
"Norwegian has regularly utilized the services of employment agencies for the recruitment and temporary provision of crews for a transitional period of 24-36 months in connection with the opening of new bases"
Anyone from Spain, Helsinki or Tenerife remember hearing this in 2012?
LNIDA quote: "If the DoT were going to throw this application out it would have done so by now, its already 15 months in"
Since the March 31, 2008 effective date of the EU US Open-Skies Agreement, 57 EU carriers have applied and been granted US Permits. The average time between application and granting the requests was 55 days. After 15 months, the longest time of any application, the DOT is no closer to granting NAI its permit and serious concerns remain.
LNIDA quote: "Your constant carping about temporary contract staff has been over taken by events. The LH haul crews are based in LGW pay UK tax and social insurance"
Norwegian directs and controls the bases, working rosters, days off, vacation periods and promotion opportunities for both the short haul and long haul crews, this makes Norwegian, effectively, the real employer. However, Norwegian seeks to circumvent its obligations and responsibilities as the employer via its exclusive use of agencies. Pilots and cabin crew have no employment rights and receive no employment principles from their real employer, Norwegian. Despite the false claims by Norwegian that they comply with International Labor Organization core conventions, there is evidence to prove they do not. Such a regime categorically does not meet the prerequisites required by Article 17 of the EU-US Open-Skies Agreement. The US Permit cannot be granted.
LNIDA quote: "Turning to NAI you often assert that the IAA AOC is to someway avoid oversight and regulation"
A serious safety incident involving a Norwegian 787 from JFK to ARN occurred in January 2015. The aircraft is registered in Ireland, the AOC is held in Norway, the crew were operating on EASA licenses issued in various EU and non-EU states and operating under different employment contracts with various agencies located in different countries. YES, there is a concern regarding the convoluted web of regulatory oversight the Norwegian scheme requires and how it is applied.
LNIDA quote: "all say Norwegian on them as far as i recall" [the official crew badge]
and they all have the letters Empl (employee) on them too! making the badge a misrepresentation. This supports that Norwegian is effectively the real employer, but seeks to circumvent its employment obligations and responsibilities.
I am informed the US DOT is examining NLH applications for US C-1/D Crew Visas, to determine if any false declarations have been made as to the sponsor "employer" of the applicant.
Presumably some of those busses went to Bristol.