– We have not taken any work lightly – E24

Solberg was challenged by the SP leader, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, on the Storting’s oral question time.

Among other things, Vedum wants to establish a compensation plan for aviation, to ensure that Norway can continue to maintain activity in the three airlines Widerøe, Norwegian and SAS.

– Should there be Norwegian jobs in aviation or should there be jobs abroad? Vedum asked at the Storting.

– Does the Prime Minister see as a goal that SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe continue to serve the Norwegian people and aircraft in Norway even after this crown crisis? asked the leader of the Center Party.

Vedum asked Norwegian airline for help, among other things. He warned against competition from foreign companies like Hungarian Wizz Air, which has said they have no unions. This has led several Norwegian unions and the Prime Minister himself to say that they do not want to fly with the company.

– I think the Prime Minister takes it easy, said Vedum.

– If we do not take action, it will be players like Wizz Air who will take control, said Vedum.

Refers to Norwegian’s debt

The Prime Minister says he is demanding to contribute taxpayer money to companies such as Norwegian, which owes significant debt to, among others, foreign leasing companies. She denies that the government has taken aviation jobs lightly.

– No, we have not taken any work lightly, we, Erna Solberg, answered Vedum’s question on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister says that the government has stepped up purchases of aviation services, but that above all they want to save viable companies.

When the government rejected Norwegian’s request for several billion kronor in support earlier this month, they referred, among other things, to the company’s high debt affected by the crisis. Therefore, the Prime Minister sent Vedum’s question in return.

– Is it true that representative Vedum intends to pay NOK 48 billion of the debt with Norwegian, or NOK 20 billion that he intends to give, or NOK 15 billion that he intends to give? Or what is it really going to give you to make sure you have a job, when you have a company that has such high debt? asked the Prime Minister at the Storting.

– There are 48 billion debt in this company. My starting point is that this is, first and foremost, something to be held accountable for, those who are liable for the debt and have guaranteed for this, and that now we should not send taxpayers’ money directly into the hands of tax companies. risk and others, Solberg said.

Solberg’s cross-question to the representatives of the Center Party, Vedum and Pollestad, provoked a reprimand from the chairman of the Storting, Tone W. Trøen. He reminded Solberg that it is the representatives who ask him the questions, and not the other way around.

Ask for suggestions

On Wednesday, the Center Party presented a representative proposal at the Storting for a crisis package for aviation that will last until 2022, and a compensation scheme for airlines with a Norwegian operating license.

“Today it appears that the second wave of infection in Norway and Europe may last until winter 2020/2021. There is little indication that summer 2021 will not be affected by the corona situation, regardless of whether effective vaccines are introduced in the spring of 2021. All this requires that a long-term crisis plan be implemented for Norwegian aviation, ” the Center Party writes in the proposal.

Aviation was not covered by the government’s business and industry compensation scheme, which was established this spring, but airlines received billion-kronor loan guarantees from the government.

This week, government parties and the FRP agreed to eliminate the air passenger tax until 2022, as a contribution to mitigating challenges. The parties also said they would consider a separate compensation scheme for aviation.

Norwegian employees are taking action

Simultaneously with question time, employees of the airline Norwegian, in crisis, are taking action outside the Storting. They want more support to avoid aviation bankruptcies.

The leader of the Norwegian pilots, Alf Hansen, believes that the government has not taken the seriousness seriously.

– Sylvi Listhaug (Frp) has promised a rescue package for aviation, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp) takes up the rescue package in question time at the Storting and we have had good conversations with Sverre Myrli (Labor). When we also have positive conversations with Transport Minister Knut Arild Hareide (KrF) and Helge Orten in the Conservative Party, it gives us hope, Hansen says, according to a message from Parat.

– There has been something else in aviation in the state budget, but not enough to save existing Norwegian infrastructure and jobs, says Norwegian Cabin Crew Leader Rene-Charles Gustavsen in the report.

Norwegian does not have

Norwegian has asked the state for several billion kronor in support. Earlier this month, the state said no, because there was too much risk of losing money.

“The fact that the government has now decided not to provide Norwegian with more liquidity support is very disappointing and is perceived as a real punch to the stomach for everyone who has fought for the company at Norwegian and at a time when our competitors they receive double-digit billions from the authorities in their countries, “he said. Norwegian CEO Jacob Schram following the government’s decision.

After this, Norwegian fired another 1,600 employees. From having 11,000 employees and 156 airplanes in operation before the crisis, there will now be around 600 employees on the job and 6 airplanes in the air.