Norwegian Air International (Dublin International) is set to generate more controversy after the European Commission (EC) last week called for an extraordinary meeting with the United States to discuss the carrier's pending application with the US Department of Transportation for a US foreign air carrier permit.

Though the DOT did dismiss the carrier's application for exemption authority early last month on the grounds that "it was not in the public's interest," it did state that it would require more time to consider its foreign air carrier permit application.

As a result, Brussels has raised numerous concerns with Washington over the latter's decision to drag out Norwegian's application.

“This is a fundamental issue,” Siim Kallas, a vice president of the European Commission in charge of transport, said last month. “The Norwegian subsidiary is a European company, so its application can only be treated based on the EU-US [Open Skies] agreement of 2007.”

The carrier's application has faced intense resistance from US politicians as well as airlines and unions on both sides of the Atlantic, all of which accuse it of using an Irish Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) as a means of circumventing costly Norwegian labour regulations through their hiring of Thai crews. This, they claim, provides it an "unfair competitive" advantage.

The Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) subsidiary, however, has rejected those allegations stating that all its operations follow each country's labour regulations in accordance with that country's laws.

"It is important to stress that Ireland was not chosen because the country has specific rules and regulations that allow the use of American or Asian crew, like some politicians and unions have claimed. The fact is that Norwegian could have based its long-haul company in any other European country and still used American and Asian crew, the way several other European airlines have been operating for years," the carrier argued. "Norwegian’s employees in the U.S. follow U.S. labour laws, the company’s employees in Norway follow Norwegian labour laws and employees in the UK follow UK labour laws, etc."

Norwegian further added that it chose Ireland also because the country is a full signatory to the Cape Town Convention, which therefore will provide it with better financing conditions apropos its back order for 250+ aircraft.