Airline’s wage pledge on Cork-US route

The airline fighting US authorities for the right to start low-cost flights between Cork and the US gave written assurances over a year ago that it would not hire any crew members on the cheap from low-wage countries in Asia.

Norwegian Air International (NAI) is facing accusations it will drive down wages and working conditions on transatlantic routes if it is allowed fly between Cork and Boston.

In a letter to the US department of transportation in June last year, however, the company’s chief executive Bjorn Kjos, stated: “NAI is now in a position to commit to use only European and US pilots and crews on NAI transatlantic flights.”