AFS-13-010-E

December 10, 2012

 Exemption No. 10669

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2012-1101

Mr. Timothy V. Erickson

2800 Cantrell Road

Air Transport International, Inc.

Little Rock, AR 72202

Dear Mr. Erickson:

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 October 12, 2012, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

on behalf of Air Transport International, Inc. (ATI), for an exemption from § 91.203 of 

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). That exemption, if granted, would permit 

ATI temporary operation of U.S.-registered aircraft in domestic airline operations without the 

registration and/or airworthiness certificates on board, following incidental loss or mutilation 

of the certificate of airworthiness or registration or both.

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 ATI.

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 Nos. 5515, as amended, now 

Exemption No. 10248 (copies enclosed), the FAA affirmed that a system whereby missing 

aircraft registration certificates can be reissued within a maximum of 4 hours was, and is 

presently, in place at Aircraft Registry (AFS-750) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is 
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possible, however, that air carriers operating in revenue service may be required to delay or 

cancel scheduled flights while awaiting certificate processing. An exemption that allows an 

aircraft to be operated for a specific time period, using an alternate method of documenting 

registration or airworthiness, will prevent such interruptions of service, thereby serving the 

public interest.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that—

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

of Exemption No. 5515, as amended, and Exemption No. 10248 ;

• the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 5515, as 

amended, and Exemption No. 10248 also apply to the situation you present; and 

• a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator 

has delegated to me, I hereby grant Air Transport International, Inc., an exemption from 

14 CFR § 91.203 to the extent necessary to permit temporary operation of U.S.-registered 

aircraft in domestic airline operations without the registration and/or airworthiness certificates 

on board, following incidental loss or mutilation of the certificate of airworthiness or 

registration or both, subject to the conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations 

1. ATI must: (1) develop a comprehensive program that provides for continued 

operation of the aircraft when the certificate of registration or airworthiness for such 

aircraft is lost, stolen, or mutilated; (2) ensure that timely application is made to the 

FAA for a replacement certificate; and (3) provide for the temporary operation of the 

aircraft during the interim required to receive a replacement certificate from the FAA 

and install it on the affected aircraft. This program must be FAA-approved and 

instructions for its use shall be included in the air carrier’s manual required by 14 CFR 

§§ 121.133 and 135.21.

2. The comprehensive program specified in paragraph 1 must contain:

a. A requirement that the following statement be entered into the appropriate 

section of the aircraft logbook whenever this exemption is to be utilized:

“This aircraft is being operated without a certificate of registration (or 

airworthiness, as applicable) under the provisions of Exemption No. 

(INSERT EXEMPTION NO.) for a period of 3 working days, not 

including weekends or Federal Holidays, beginning:

Time:_____ Date:________ 200__”

The signature, title, and station location of the person(s) authorized by 

paragraph (b) shall be affixed to this statement.
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b. Identification of the designated person or persons, including job titles and 

responsibilities with the air carrier’s maintenance organization authorized to 

enter the statement outlined in paragraph 2a above and the method or methods 

wherein the documents required under paragraph 4 will be transmitted to the 

affected aircraft.

c. An arrangement whereby those persons within the ATI organization 

responsible for certificates of registration and airworthiness will maintain a 

current record of the data from the certificates of each aircraft within its fleet 

which may be affected by this exemption. These data must be made readily 

available to that element within the air carrier’s maintenance organization 

identified in paragraph 2b and must be kept current at all times.

d. Procedures to ensure that the FAA principal maintenance inspector with 

responsibility for that air carrier is immediately notified of a missing or 

mutilated certificate and that timely application is made to the FAA for a 

replacement certificate (in the case of an airworthiness certificate) or a 

duplicate certificate (in the case of a registration certificate).

3. The privileges of this exemption may be exercised by ATI’s temporary replacement of 

a missing or mutilated registration and/or airworthiness certificate which is current and 

in effect and only applies to U.S.-registered aircraft listed in the air carrier’s FAAapproved operations specifications.

4. A copy of this exemption and a copy of the operations specifications authorizing its 

use must be carried on board the aircraft when exercising the privileges of this 

exemption.

5. The privileges of this exemption may only be exercised when the affected flight 

operates totally within the 48 contiguous states of the United States, including the 

District of Columbia.

This exemption terminates on November 30, 2014, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

Michael Zenkovich

Acting Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosures