NEWS

Norwegian Air Shuttle’s dispute with U.S. regulators over its wish to fly more transatlantic routes will likely go to arbitration, the CEO of Europe’s third biggest budget airline said on Thursday.

Norwegian wants to fly to the United States from Ireland but its Irish subsidiary has been waiting more than two-and-a-half years for permission from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT), which it says is far longer than airlines usually wait.

The European Commission has previously said the delay constitutes a breach of the Open Skies air traffic agreement between the European Union and the United States.

Norwegian Air Shuttle Chief Executive Officer Bjorn Kjos said he expected the dispute to go to arbitration.

“It will probably end up in an arbitration by the EU,” Kjos said in a speech in London on Thursday. “The ongoing delays by the DoT set a dangerous precedent that can only be bad news for … everyone in the industry.”

Norwegian flies to the United States from Norway and elsewhere in Europe, including Britain, on its Norwegian operating license.