EU takes legal action to force low-fare US flights decision

Pressure is mounting on US authorities to sanction low-fares flights from Ireland to the US, after the EU triggered arbitration.

But the legal process could take months. Political and business leaders here have welcomed the European Commission’s unprecedented decision to trigger arbitration because of US authorities’ failure to grant Norwegian Air Ireland (NAI) a permit to fly to America from Cork and Shannon.

The Dublin-based airline’s application for a foreign-carrier permit has faced stiff opposition from unions on both sides of the Atlantic, which have claimed NAI will undermine wages and working conditions.