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October 23, 2014

 Exemption No. 11091

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2014-0665

Michael J. Gutierrez

Chief Inspector, FDER140A

Federal Express

7401 World Way West

Los Angeles, CA, 90045

Dear Mr. Gutierrez:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our 

decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, 

including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated September 2, 2014, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

on behalf of Federal Express (FedEx) for an exemption from § 145.103(b) of Title 14 Code of 

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary to allow FedEx to operate its repair 

station (FDER140A) with an airframe rating without housing to enclose the largest type and 

model of aircraft listed on its operations specifications.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any 

delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to FedEx.

The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to 

those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 10149 (copy enclosed), the FAA 

found that in view of the tropical climate in Brazil, the best way to protect workers from heat 

(absent air conditioning) would be to leave hangar doors (if they were installed) open. The 

petitioner showed that a grant of this exemption would not adversely affect safety because, the 

petitioner, would position the airplanes being worked on well inside its hangars to protect 

them from whatever adverse weather conditions might be presented. Therefore, to the extent 
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that the requirement in 14 CFR § 145.103(b) to provide “suitable permanent housing to 

enclose the largest type and model of aircraft . . .” would be interpreted to mean the housing 

would have to have doors, no matter the size of the housing, the FAA has determined that a 

grant of this exemption request would provide a level of safety at least equal to that provided 

by the regulations and would be in the public interest.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, the FAA finds that—

 they are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Grant 

of Exemption No 10149;

 the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 10149

also apply to the situation you present; and 

 for the reasons stated in Grant of Exemption No. 10149, a grant of exemption in this case

is in the

Public interest.

The FAA’s Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113 and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, I hereby grant Federal Express an exemption from 

14 CFR § 145.103(b) to the extent necessary to allow Federal Express to operate its repair 

station (FDER140A) with an airframe rating without housing to enclose the largest type and 

model of aircraft listed on its operations specifications. This exemption is subject to the 

conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations 

1. Federal Express must cease maintenance activities at any time when and if there 

is a change in environmental conditions where the lack of hangar doors would 

adversely affect the ability to protect aircraft parts, assemblies, and subassemblies 

during disassembly; as well as any cleaning, inspection, repair, alteration, or assembly 

as applicable to its ratings.

2. Repair station personnel must be protected so the quality of the work performed 

will not be impaired.
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This exemption terminates on November 30, 2016, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

Michael J. Zenkovich

Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure

Exemption 10149
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Project No.: AXX-xx-xxx-E

Project Officer: _______________

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ARM-1/200/207:Program Office [AFS- ]