European Union Says U.S. in Breach of Aviation Pact
Source: WSJ
By DOUG CAMERON And ROBERT WALL
European Union representatives said the U.S. has breached a landmark aviation treaty between two of world’s biggest aviation markets by taking too long to process a controversial effort by a Norwegian airline to expand its trans-Atlantic services.
It is the first time either side has declared a breach of their 2007 open-skies aviation deal that took more than a decade to negotiate. The pact lifted most of the barriers on trans-Atlantic flying and included provisions for cooperation on enforcing competition and safety rules.
The move escalates a simmering dispute over plans by Norwegian Air Shuttle AS to establish a new long-haul operation in Ireland and fly to the U.S. and Asia. The plan has attracted fierce opposition from a coalition of airlines, unions and lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Officials from the European Commission met with their U.S. counterparts last week to discuss the issue, but left frustrated that the U.S. Department of Transportation hasn’t provided a timeline for ruling on the application lodged by Norwegian Air in February, according to people briefed on the closed-door event.
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File photo of Airbus A320neo taking off for its first test flight. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/articles/european-union-considers-u-s-in-breach-of-aviation-accord-1417542360
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