,•,., ; ^-i ! A •'; : 3 3

rI N N AC L t i 1 I - I I r . I J \• . ' Jun e 23 , 201 1

U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Docke t Managemen t

Syste m 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , SE . Wes t Buildin g Groun dFloor , Roo mW12-14 0 Washington , D C 2059 0

SUBJECT : Pinnacl e Airlines , In c Petitio nfo r Reconsideratio n Si r o r Madame , In accordanc e wit hFA R11.101 , Pinnacl e Airlines , In c request s reconsideratio nfo r denia l o f exemptio nfo r

4 9 CF Rpar t

4 0 dru g testin g requirement s outline di nRegulator y Docke t No . FAA2011-0049 . Pinnacl e an dMesab aAirline s ca nassur e yo u tha t al l requirement s o f

4 9 CF RPar t

4 0 hav e bee n me t b y eac hai r

carrie r separately . Mesab ame t it s burde nt o ensur e tha t individual s crossin g it s threshol dint o safety-sensitiv e function s ha dbee nconsistently , an dwithou t exception , screene d fo r dru g use . Therefor e th e publi c interes t inensurin g tha t

activ e dru g user s ar e detecte dan d prevente dfromenterin g safety-sensitiv e position s ha dbee nme t diligentl y b y th e airline . Al l record s ar e currentl y maintaine db y th e separat e airline s i naccordanc e wit hth e requirement s se t forthb y CF R4 9 par t

4 0 an dwil l b e availabl e fo r inspectio nat

asingl e locatio nupo ncompletio n o f th e merger . Plan s fo r th e merge r

o f asset s o f

Mesab aAirline s b y Pinnacl e Airline s hav e change dsinc e ou r reques t fo r exemptio n o f

4 9 CF Rpar t

4 0 dru g testin g requirements . Mesab aAirline s i s no w plannin g t o surrende r

it s certificat e an dth e employee s wil l becom e tha t o f eithe r Pinnacl e Airline s o r

Colga nAirline s i nessence , amerge r W e als o fmdtha t

othe r airline s hav e ha dexemption s approve dtha t wer e requeste dfo r circumstance s tha t

d o no t materiall y differ . Delt aAirline s requeste dexemptio ndurin g th e acquisitio no f

Northwes t

Airline s an dtha t

reques t wa s approve do nRegulator y Docke t No . FAA2009-0308 . U S Airways , In c requeste da nexemptio nwit hth e acquisitio no f America nWes t whic hwa s approve do n Regulator y Docke t No . FAA-2007-2738 . Pinnacl e Airline s disagree s Pinnacl e Airline s Petitio nfo

r Reconsideratio n Pag e 1wit hth e FAA' s positio ntha t th e acquisitio no f

Mesab ai s no t

a"merger " an di s no t

supporte db y precedence . W e conclud e tha t thi s i s a"merger" . Mesab awil l merg e int o tw o existin g airline s an deac hmerge r

woul db e essentiall y identica l t o previou s airlin e mergers . It i s ou r belie f tha t ther e i s n o threa t

t o th e publi c becaus e th e du e diligenc e o f 4 9 CF Rpar t

4 0 ha s bee nme t b y bot hcompanies . W e affin ntha t al l individual s tha t

ha dbee nperformin g safet y sensitiv e dutie s fo r

Mesab aAirline s wil l hav e bee nconsistentl y screene dfo r dru g us e throug ha n FA A approve dan dmonitore ddru g testin g program . Pinnacl e ha s aproces s i nplac e t o ensur e tha t onl y employee s tha t

ar e currentl y performin g safet y sensitiv e dutie s fo r Mesab aAirline s an d subjec t t o th e regulation s o f

4 9 CF RPar i 4 0 woul db e permitte dt o perfor msafet y sensitiv e dutie s fo r Pinnacl e Airlines . An y employe e tha t i s no t currentl y subjecte dt o par t 4 0 regulation s woul d b e require dt o complet e th e pre-employmen t proces s outline dinpar t 40 . I f w e ca nprovid e additiona l informatio no r b e o f an y othe r

assistance , pleas e contac t Marr y Ai m Morrow , Vic e Presiden t o f Peopl e at

(901 ) 348-4258 . Pinnacl e Airlin e appreciate s you r reconsideratio n o f

thi s petition .

Sincerely ,

Crai g L . Chilcot e Vic e Presiden t

Safety , Securit y an dComplianc e

Pinnacl e Airline s Petitio nfo

r Reconsideratio n Pag e 2