Airline stalls Dreamliner purchase talks

Budget airline Norwegian Air has suspended talks on buying 20 Dreamliner planes from Boeing because of a delay in receiving US backing for its long-haul plans, according to its chief executive Bjoern Kjos.

The airline may also reconsider plans to locate its long-haul operations in Ireland, giving up the advantage of having a European Union-based carrier, Mr Kjos told Transport Minister Leo Varadkar in a letter dated April 23.

Norwegian launched flights to the US and Bangkok from its Nordic bases last year and obtained an Irish air operators’ certificate, hoping to base the business in the EU, where it can operate under more favourable conditions and take advantage of the Open Skies trade between the US and the EU.