Shannon Airport backs Norwegian Air bid to get US permit

Shannon Airport has formally backed Norwegian Air International's bid for a licence to fly to the US from the EU.

The airline, an Irish-registered subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle, is seeking a foreign carrier's permit in the US that will allow it fly low-cost services between there and Europe.

Shannon, from where Norwegian intends to fly to the US once it gets a permit, has made a formal submission to Washington’s department of transportation asking that the airline get final approval.

The department has already “tentatively” approved the airline, but political and trade union opposition means that it still faces a number of barriers before getting the actual permit.

This week a group of business people, including Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary and the head of the Irish Aviation Authority Eamonn Brennan, wrote to US congressman Peter DeFazio of the Friends of Ireland Caucus, in support of Norwegian Air International.

The airline plans to fly from both Cork and Shannon airports to cities in the US if its gets the final permit. It intends launching a low-cost long-haul network connecting Europe with both the US and the Far East.