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no tea partyUpdated 17.16
NORWEGIAN AIR COULD be unable to get its planned Cork to Boston flights off the ground this summer with US officials so far refusing to sign off on the airline’s proposed route.
The Nordic carrier announced with fanfare in September that it would be operating direct routes four times a week between the two cities from May next year.
However the flights are dependent on US authorities giving approval to Norwegian Air International, the Ireland-based subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle, to operate from Boston, despite their Irish counterparts already lending their support.
The route would be the first transatlantic flights from Cork in more than 50 years and part of a proposed expansion that was also scheduled to include direct trips from the southern city to New York in 2017.
Dublin Airport Authority head Kevin Toland, whose organisation also runs Cork Airport, said there was a real danger the service wouldn’t start this summer, according to the Irish Independent.
A spokeswoman for Norwegian Air told TheJournal.ie the airline would be able to operate the route from May “providing the correct permits are in place”.
However we will need to review the start date soon if there is no movement from the (US) Department of Transport (DoT).
Turbulence
The low-cost airline, Europe’s third-largest budget carrier, currently operates flights from New York, Los Angeles and Oakland to several European destinations.
However Norwegian Air International’s bid for permission to operate transatlantic flight under the EU-US “open skies” agreement has run into opposition from some American airlines and unions.
Its application for a US foreign carrier concession has been languishing since 2013 amid claims its Irish registration was merely a “flag of convenience” to cut costs by sidestepping Norwegian labour rules.
The airline has failed to win approval despite committing to using only US and European pilots and crews on the flights.
The Irish Examiner yesterday reported the European Commission was expected to take up Norwegian Air International’s case in support of the open skies deal.
A boost for Cork
The news of the new route was welcomed in the region as a boost for connectivity at an airport that has been losing passengers while traffic through Dublin and Shannon has been booming.
Aer Lingus today announced it was adding capacity this summer on its route from Shannon to Boston with an extra 6,000 seats to be available across the season.
The Norwegian Air spokeswoman said that transatlantic flights from Cork were “only the beginning of our plans for expansion in Ireland”.
“But these new routes still rely on the (DoT) finally approving Norwegian Air International’s application for a foreign carrier permit,” she said.
It is clear that there is huge support for these new routes from the Irish authorities, the airport and the wider public – we urge the DoT to finally give their approval which will unlock the door for these new routes, bringing greater competition, more choice and better fares for passengers on both sides of the Atlantic.”
A spokeswoman for the DoT said via email that the US agency was still reviewing the permit application and a decision hadn’t been made.
“The application involves novel and complex issues and we are taking the necessary time to evaluate the long-term application appropriately,” she said.
There were no statutory deadlines or estimates for how long the process would take, she added.
First published 12.41pm
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Flew with Norwegian airways recently, would deffo fly with them again. Free wifi on board too.
Cork airport is such a pleasant experience it’s a shame that the DAA have left it lose flights over the last 10 years. If Cork was supported at all by this government it would be a serious counterpoint city.
Like I always say, they couldn’t get a helium balloon off the ground in Cork. Several promises of better infrastructure, public amenities, flood prevention and protection. ..have failed to be fulfilled if indeed, they were ever genuine. There are buildings in the centre of the city that are lying vacant for over 50yrs. The cork – limerick road is diabolical. They’ve been posturing about bypasses and motorways there for over 40 yrs, still nothing. Not to mind, the Lee tunnel is the only one I’ve ever seen with a major intersection right in front of it. The bus and train station or an abomination and embarrassment. Welcome to cork, the most non progressive sleepiest city you’ve ever been to !
It goes to show the neglect from a Dublin centric public service. Everything you mention except for the idle building are down to lack of public investment and decisions made by national bodies like the NRA.
They are allowed fly the route tomorrow if they wanted to but its only part of their game to get cheaper labour and the US are not having it.
Want to explain more?
Yes basally with an Irish licence labor costs are much lower than ones in the UK or Scandinavia. I think it’s the social insurance which Ireland is one of the cheapest in Europe.
There is nothing stopping them from operating Cork-Boston under European Open Skies under their Scandinavian licence. While the US are technically in breach for not issuing the Irish cert permission to operate in the US they can drag it out..
It’s like Ryanair anybody wonder why all staff are employed on Irish contracts in Europe with the exception of those in the UK who are on UK terms and conditions.
“The EU–US Open Skies Agreement is an open skies air transport agreement between the European Union and the United States. The agreement allows any airline of the European Union and any airline of the United States to fly between any point in the European Union and any point in the United States. Airlines of the United States are also allowed to fly between points in the European Union. Airlines of the European Union are also allowed to fly between the United States and non-EU countries like Switzerland.”
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:134:0004:0041:EN:PDF
Hopefully things will be resolved soon.According to this,the EU Transport Commission will be following up on it shortly as the Americans are breaching the contract of Open Skies.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/us-delays-cork-airport-transatlantic-route-to-boston-376706.html
4 flights a week, they wouldn’t fill 1 a week I’d say
They are very large aircraft and I’d say that there are a lot of people in South and East Munster who currently fill seats from Dublin and Shannon who would be happy with a service nearer to home.
Also its a Barcalona, Cork, Boston service so should have no trouble filling seats
Its a B737-800 – with less than 180 seats.
Where are you going with Barcelona?.The flights are direct Cork-Boston.
Look it up it was advertised at launch as a Barcelona to cork to Boston flight
Paul they are not going to fly a 737 to Boston, they have 787′s too.
fear uisce,I think you’re getting mixed up.They hope to start a Cork-Boston,a Cork-New York and a Cork-Barcelona service.See here
http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0926/730488-norwegian/
Tony
Are you sure Cork can handle a fully loaded 787?
They will probably wet lease a 757 to service the route.
Ted,if you read the link I posted they will be using the 737 and the new 737 max.
@ Franks Cat, have you seen the state of the N25 from Youghal to Cork? These days its quicker to get to Dublin Airport with the M9 from Waterford City. When booking flights Cork does’nt even cross my mind.
That’s exactly the point – basic infrastructure across most of Munster is poor . The idea of driving from Waterford to Cork airport isn’t appealing when the M9 gets you to Dublin so quickly. In Amy event the all island market for air transport of 6 million people will only sustain one major international airport. One only has to see all the northern reg cars at Dublin to see how true this is.
I wouldn’t fancy flying to US in a 737. But if it’s cheap enough they’ll surely be able to fill a larger aircraft.
I havent travelled that road in a while but I know people who commute it every day. I dont know anyone who commutes Youghal to Dublin. Also. you need to factor in the M50 and the queues in Dublin airport. When flying from Cork I usually turn up 90 minutes before my departure. 5 min walk to bag drop and 15 mins through security.
Continental used to have a New York to Bristol trip, using a 757. The runway at Bristol is shorter than Cork’s—I think about 300 meters shorter—if I recall correctly. Cork should have no problem handling a 757.
A Dreamliner may be a different story, however.
Eugene, your points are mostly correct. We are very poorly served by our politicians. Any promises and plans hardly ever come to fruition. Cork airport was supposed to be independent and debt free, once the new terminal opened. Never happened. Various motorways and by passes have been on the long finger for the last 30yeaes. There hasn’t been as much as a shovel in the ground for the event centre. I could go on. Any positives for cork are the result of private sector investment.
Correction. They are NOT very large aircraft.
Paul…. Irish pay rates are among the highest in Europe. Probably slightly lower than Norway, however minimum pay rates here are significantly higher than the UK.
There are quite simply two reasons why Norwegian want to operate under an Irish licence.
1…Irish employment contract law is among the most lenient ( for employers) in Europe.
2…Corporate tax rates here are lower than most if not all European states.
Norwegian have interest in irish expansion beyond the two existing flights ie; Dublin Copenhagen and Dublin Stockholm.
The Americans know this. And this is why they’re stalling.
That doesn’t make sense. They are opening a route, not relocating the company headquarters.
Correction to typo above;
Norwegian have no in Irish expansion.
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