BEFOR E TH E ^ • ••v'^^BN TO F DEPARTMEN TO F TRANSPORTATIO N ; , 0.0[-p . j , v, r OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y^ LfirtliLiV , WASHINGTON , D.C . 

### R o ?• •O b Motio n o f DELT AAI R LINES , INC . Fo rConfidentia l Treatmen t Unde rSectio n 302.1 2 Docke tOST-96-163 8

MOTIO N O F DELT AAI R LINES , INC . T O WITHHOL D INFORMATIO N FRO M PUBLI C DISCLOSUR E Communication s wit h respec tt o thi s documen tshoul d b e sen tto : Alexande rVa n de rBelle n Managin g Directo rGovernmen tAffair s &Associat e Genera l Counse l DELTAAI R LINES , INC . 121 2 Ne wYor k

Avenue , N.W . Suit e 20 0 Washington , D C 2000 5 (202)842-418 4 sascha . vanderbellen@delta . co m

Novembe r10 , 201 0BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN TO F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . Motio n o f DELTAAI R LINES , INC . Fo rConfidentia l Treatmen t Unde rSectio n 302.1 2 Docke t OST-1995-65 1

MOTIO N O F DELT AAI R LINES , INC . T O WITHHOL D INFORMATIO N FRO M PUBLI C DISCLOSUR E

Pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 302.12 , Delt a Ai rLines , Inc . ("Delta" ) hereb yfile s thi s Motio n t o Withhol d Fro m Publi cDisclosur e certai n commerciall yan d competitivel ysensitiv e informatio n containe d i n Delta' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B-7 , Airfram e an d Aircraf tEngin e Acquisition s an d Retirements . Delt a i s require d t o provid e th e confidentia l informatio n containe d i n Schedul e B- 7 pursuan t t o Par

t24 1 o fth e Department' s Economi cRegulations , 1 4 CF R 241 . Th e informatio n fo rwhic h Delt a i s requestin g confidentia l treatmen tfall s withi n Exemptio n 3 o fth e Freedo m o fInformatio n Ac t 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(3) , whic h exempt s fro m disclosur e informatio n require d bystatut e t o b e withheld . Exemptio n 3 provide s that :

(b ) Thi s sectio n doe s no t appl yt o matter s tha tar e . . . * * * (3 ) specificall yexempte d fro m disclosur e bystatut e (othe rtha n sectio n 552(b ) o fthi s title) , provide d tha t suc h statut e (A) require s tha tth e matter s t o b e withhel d fro m th e publi ci n suc h a manne ra s t o leav en o discretio n o n th e issue , o r(B ) establishe s particula r criteri a fo rwithholdin g o rrefer s t o particula rtype s o f matter s t o b e withheld ; Sectio n 4011 5 o fTitl e 4 9 o fth e Unite d State s Code , formerl ySectio n 110 4 o fth e Federa l Aviatio n Act , provide s tha t th e Secretaryo fTransportation , upo n motion , shal l orde rinformatio n withhel d fro m publi cdisclosur e whe n disclosur e o fth e informatio n woul d "hav e a n advers e effect o n th e competitiv e positio n o fa n ai rcarrie ri n foreign ai rtransportation. " Th e Departmen tha s previousl yfoun d tha t th e aircraftdat a reporte d o n For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 fo rwhic h Delt a herei n seek s confidentia l treatmen t woul d produc e th e har m specifie d i n Sectio n 40115. ^ Th e Department , i n grantin g confidentialit yt o United , stated :

Unite d compete s wit h foreig n ai rcarrier s tha td o no t report informatio n abou t th e cos t o fthei rindividua l airframe s an d aircraft engines . Thi s lac k

o favailabl e aircraftcos t informatio n fro m foreign ai rcarrier s create s a n environmen t wher e foreig n carrier s ar e abl e t o acces s U.S . carrie raircraftcos tinformatio n fro m th e Department' s publi crecords , bu t U.S . carrier s ar e unabl e t o acces s comparabl e dat a fo rthei rforeig n competitors . Thi s lac k o freciproca l acces s erode s th e competitivenes s o fUnite d vi s a vi s it s foreign competitors . Therefore , th e releas e o faircraftinventor ycos tdat a reporte d o n United' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 . . . , an d Schedul e B-4 3 . . . , woul d produc e th e har m specifie d i n Sectio n 1104 . Consequentl ythi s informatio n wil l b e withhel d fro m disclosur e unde rExemptio n 3 o f FOI Aan d Sectio n 110 4 o fth e Act . Lik e United , Delt a compete s wit h foreign carrier s tha td o no treport informatio n abou t th e cos t o fthei rairframe s an d aircraft engine s ye t ar e fre e t o obtai n U.S . carrie rinformatio n fro m th e Department . I twoul d b e damagin g t o Delt a t o requir e i tt o divulg e t o it s non-reportin g foreign fla g competitor s th e fruit s o fit s competitiv e effort s wit h aircraf tmanufacturer s t o secur e th e bes t

^ See e.g. , Lette ro

fOffice o fAirlin e Statistics grantin g Motio n o fUnited Airlines , Inc. , date d Decembe r 29 , 199 3 (Docke t 48726) . Th e Departmen t also grante d confidentia l treatmen tto Schedules B- 7 o fAmerica n (b ylette rdate d Novembe r1 , 1993 , Docke t48800) an d Delt

a (b ylette rdate d March 29 , 1993 , Docke t48649) .possibl e purchas e price. ^ Th e Department , whe n decidin g United' s confidentialit ymotion , grante d Unite d a ten-yea r confidentia l perio d beginnin g o n th e dat e th e informatio n wa s require d t o b e file d pursuan tt o 1 4 CF R 241.22(a) . Delt a request s simila rprotectio n wit h respect t o th e seale d Schedul e B- 7 attache d hereto . WHEREFORE , Delt a request s tha tth e Department , pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 302.1 2 an d 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(3 ) an d (4) , withhol d fro m publi cdisclosur e th e financia l informatio n containe d i n Delta' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 fo ra perio d o fno t les s tha n te n years . Respectfull ysubmitted .

^ Delt a also submits tha

t th e informatio n sough tto be withhel d fall s withi n Exemptio n 4 fro m th e Freedo m o

fInformatio n Act , 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(4) , whic h provides protectio n fro m disclosur e fo r"trad e secrets an d commercia l o rfinancia l informatio n obtaine d fro m a perso n an d privilege d o rconfidential.... " Th e requested informatio n contained i n Delta' s Schedul e B- 7 satisf yal l thre e elements required fo rprotectio n unde r Exemptio n 4 .