UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation on February 15

, 201 3



### NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN

-- DOCKET OST

- 2010

- 0299

________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken by the Department official indicated (no additional confirming order will be issued in this matter).

Applicant: SICHUAN AIRLINES CO

. , LTD. (Sichuan Airlines) Date Filed: January 10, 201 3

Relief requested: Renewal of e xemption under 49 USC § 4 0109 to engage in : 1) scheduled foreign air transportation

of persons , property, and mail between points in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), on the one hand, and Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, on the other hand; 2) charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail be tween the PRC and the United States; and 3) other charters pursuant to the prior approval requirements set forth in the Department’s regulations. The applicant requests that its authority be granted

for a minimum of two years.

Applicant representative: George U. Carneal , 202

- 637

- 6546 DOT analyst: Catherine C. Brown , 202

- 366

- 2 390

If renewal, date and citation of last action: February 2 , 201 2 , in this Docket.

Responsive pleadings: None.

DISPOSITION

Action: Approved in part (one

- year grant), remainder (request for longer term authority) dismissed

. 1

Action date: February 15 , 201 3

Effective dates of authority granted: February 15

, 201 3 , through February 15 , 201 4

.

Basis for approval: United States

- C hina Air Transport Services Agreement.

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of our standard exemption conditions (attached).

Special conditions/Remarks: I n accordance with 14 CFR §212.9(d) and (e) of our regulations, Sichuan Airlines must obtain prior Department approval in the form of statements of authorization before operating any charter trips to or

from the United States.

Action taken by: Paul L. Gre tch, Director, Office of International Aviation

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __ Under authority assigned by the Department in its regulations, 14 CFR Part 385, we found that (1) our action was consistent with Department policy; (2) the applicant was qualified to perform its proposed operations; (3) grant of the authority was consist ent with the public interest; and (4) grant of the authority would not constitute a major regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. To the extent not granted/deferred/dismissed, we denied all requests in the referenced Docket. We may amend, modify, or revoke the authority granted in this Notice at any ti me without hearing at our discretion.

Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of the action set forth in this Notice under the Department’s regulati ons, 14 CFR §385.30, may file their petitions within seven (7) days after the date of issuan ce of this Notice. This action was effective when taken, and the filing of a petition for review will not alter such effectiveness.

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at:

h ttp://www.regulations.gov

1 The one

- year duration of the authority we granted is consistent with our usual policy of granting exemption authority in the circumstances presented. We, theref ore, dismissed the application to the extent that it sought authority for a longer period.

### Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier applicant(s) shall:

(1) Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective authorization from its homeland for such operations, and it has filed a copy of such authorization with the Department;

(2) Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and with all applicable U.S. Governmen t requirements concerning security, including, but not limited to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, and 36 and 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as applicable. To assure compliance with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, the holder shall, befor e commencing any new service (including charter flights) from a foreign airport that would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States,

contact its International Industry Representative (IIR) (formerly referred to as International Princip al Security Inspector) to advise the I IR of its plans and to find out whether the Transportation Security Administration has determined that security is adequate to allow such airport(s) to be served ;

(3) Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage contained in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the commencement of any operations under this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the form of a completed OST Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Program Management Branch (A FS

- 260), Flight Standards Service (any changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be filed with that office);

(4) Not operate aircraft under this authority unless it complies with operational safety requirements at least equivalent to

Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention;

(5) Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirements of its Government for international air services;

(6) Except as specifically exempted or otherwise provided for in a Department Order, comply with the requirement s of 14 CFR Part 203, concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defenses;

(7) Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 1605(a), but only with respect to those act ions or proceedings instituted against it in any court or other tribunal in the United States that are: (a) based on its operations in international air transportation that, according to the contract of carriage, include a point in the United States as a p oint of origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for which the contract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or (b) based on a claim under any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any court or other tribunal of the U nited States. In this condition, the term "international air transportation" means "international transportation" as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except that all States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the purpose of this defini tion;

(8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or terminate all flights to/from the United States in its homeland;

(9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and

cha rter data;

(10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provided in the applicable aviation agreement, comply with the Department's rules governing charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380); and

(11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations required by the public interest as may be prescribed by the Department, with all applicable orders or regulations of other U.S. agencies and courts, and with all applicable laws of the United States.

This auth ority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with the conditions imposed above. Moreover, this authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit Department approval

under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.

12/2007