Cork to US flights get green light for takeoff

Plans to launch the first transatlantic flights from Cork Airport to the US have finally been cleared for take-off after a stalled licence was sanctioned last night.

It followed a decision by the US authorities to grant a foreign carrier permit to Norwegian Air International (NAI) - the Irish subsidiary of low-fares giant Norwegian, which applied for the licence almost three years ago.

Bitterly opposed by several US and European airlines and labour unions, the application has been one of the longest pending applications of its kind.