Just what we wanted to hear.

Norwegian Air have been given a permit for US-Ireland flights meaning that low-cost transatlantic flights from Ireland may soon be a reality. While talk of such flights have been ongoing for some time, the move had been held up by the US Department of Transport, who were delaying the awardance of a licence following pressure from unions. At an event in the Irish consulate in New York last night, Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed the news. According to RTÉ, he said the decision would "do for long-haul travel what Ryanair had done for short-haul travel". Norwegian Air had originally intended to fly a route from Cork to Boston, which was hoped to be up and running by May 2017, but the delay in the licence means that those plans had to be shelved. Kenny pointed out that it's possible low-cost transatlantic flights could fly to and from Shannon and Knock Airports as alternatives. Norwegian Air is the third biggest budget airline in the world and the granting of their permit means a likely drop in transatlantic flights prices across the board as competition increases between airlines. There was widespread welcome for the news last night as it looks likely to be a boost for tourism and connectivity with the US.