BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC 

for an emergency exemption pursuant to 

49 u.s.c. § 40109(g) 

Huntsville, AL - Cape Canaveral AFS, FL 

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Docket OST-2015-

APPLICATION OF 

VOLGA-DNEPR AmLINES LLC 

FOR AN EMERGENCY EXEMPTION 

Communication with respect to this document should be addressed to: 

Alexey I. lsaikin 

Chairman 

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC 

14 Karbysheva Street 

Ulyanovsk 432072 

Russia 

DATED: June 08,2015 

Colon Miller 

Dir. Govt. & Def. Programs 

Volga Dnepr-Unique Air Cargo, Inc. 

9400 Grogan's Mill Road, 

Town Center Plaza, Suite 220, 

The Woodlands, TX 77381 , USA 

(832) 5 85-8611 

NOTICE: THIS APPLICATION IS FILED PURSUANT TO THE EMERGENCY 

EXEMPTION PROCEDURES OF 14 C.F.R. § 302.410, WHICH AUTHORIZE THE 

DEPARTMENT TO ACT ON EMERGENCY EXEMPTIONS IMMEDIATELY. ANY 

PERSON INTERESTED IN FILING AN ANSWER IS REQUESTED TO DO SO IN THE 

ABOVE DOCKET IMMEDIATELY. COPIES OF THE SUBMISSION SHOULD BE 

SERVED ON THE PERSONS LISTED ABOVE AND ON THE ATTACHED SERVICE LIST. 

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BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC 

for an emergency exemption pursuant to 

49 U.S.C. § 40I09(g) 

Huntsville, AL - Cape Canaveral AFS, FL 

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Docket OST-20I5-

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APPLICATION OF 

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC 

FOR AN EMERGENCY EXEMPTION 

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC ("Volga-Dnepr Airlines" or "Volga-Dnepr") respectfully 

requests an emergency exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. §§ 40I09(g) and 4I703(c), 

and otherwise applicable provisions of the Department of Transportation ("DOT") regulations, 

so as to permit Volga-Dnepr to operate one (I) one-way cargo charter flight, utilizing VolgaDnepr' s AN-I24-I 00 aircraft to transport cargo from Huntsville, Alabama to Cape Canaveral 

AFS, Florida on around June I4, 20I5 - June I6, , 20I5, on behalf of United Launch Alliance. 

The outsized cargo to be transported by Volga-Dnepr consists of the Atlas V Booster, 

measuring (I I9' L x 13' 6" W x I4' H), weighing approx. 8I,400 pounds. As described, the 

payload is outsized and cannot be accommodated by domestic commercial carrier aircraft. 

In support of its application, Volga-Dnepr states as follows: 

I. Volga-Dnepr is a foreign air carrier holding appropriate DOT authority to conduct allcargo charter foreign air transportation between a point or points in Russia and a point or points 

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in the United States, and all-cargo charter transportation between the United Sates and third 

countries pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 212. 

2. Volga-Dnepr will operate the flight on behalf of United Launch Alliance as part of an 

effort to provide urgently needed lift to leave Huntsville not later than the set dates. United 

Launch Alliance is shipping the Booster to complete aggressive fabrication and launch 

schedules, while only the use of Volga-Dnepr's outsized aircraft can make it possible to perform 

the services in question within the set schedule. 

3. Due to the extreme size, the delicate nature ofthe cargo and its extremely high value, 

United Launch Alliance cannot use surface transportation to ship the payload. A technical 

evaluation conducted by Lockheed Martin determined that over-the-road transportation would 

place the cargo in conditions that are incompatible with maintaining system integrity 

compliance. 

4. Given the tight schedules associated with the fabrication, m1sswn integration and 

launch activities, Volga-Dnepr must perform the operations not later than within the set dates. 

Volga-Dnepr is polling all U.S. certificated air carriers on the attached service list and will 

inform the Department ofthe results of that poll. 

5. Under 49 U.S.C. § 40109(g), the Department may authorize a foreign air carrier to 

transport commercial traffic between U.S. points under limited circumstances. Specifically, the 

Department must find that the authority is required in the public interest; that because of an 

emergency created by unusual circumstances not arising in the normal course of business the 

traffic cannot be accommodated by U.S. carriers holding certificates under 49 U.S.C. § 41102; 

that all possible efforts have been made to accommodate the traffic on U.S. certificated air 

carriers; and that the exemption is necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship for the traffic. This 

application is consistent with the public interest and meets all of the relevant criteria under 49 

U.S.C. § 401 09(g) for the grant of an exemption. 

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6. Grant of this application is in the public interest. As is evidenced by the attached 

correspondence, timely shipment of the Booster is imperative to avoid substantial delay in 

Lockheed Martin's fabrication, mission integration and launch schedules. 

7. In this instance, an emergency created by unusual circumstances not arising in the 

normal course of business exists as a result of the size of the Booster, as well as the exigent 

circumstances surrounding the impossibility to use any other mode of transportation, and the 

Jack of availability of U.S. commercial aircraft of the nature of the AN-124- 100 operated by 

Volga-Dnepr Airlines. As a result, the best way to resolve this emergency is for the AN-124-1 00 

aircraft to transport the Booster in question. 

8. As previously stated, no U.S. carrier operates aircraft that are able to transport this 

cargo. Indeed, there is no viable transportation option by any commercially available means 

other than Volga-Dnepr's aircraft. 

9. Grant of this exemption application is necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship for the 

traffic at issue. 

10. Volga-Dnepr's fitness and ability to carry out the proposed transportation has been 

amply demonstrated through its conduct of numerous cargo charter operations on behalf of 

United Launch Alliance in and out ofthe United States and throughout the world. 

11. Grant of this application is consistent with Department precedent. Foreign air carriers 

have been granted emergency exemption authority to carry cargo between U.S. points when an 

emergency existed as a result of unusual circumstances not arising in the normal course of 

business. See, e.g., Orders 96-6-31, 96-4-29, 95-11-35, 95-2-35, 94-11-6 and 94-4-14, as well as 

Notices of Action Taken in dockets OST-04-17906, OST-07-26806, OST-07-27125, OST-07-

28857, OST-08-0003, and OST-09-0041. 

12. In light of the exigent circumstances, Volga-Dnepr requests expeditious processing 

and the immediate grant ofthis emergency exemption application. The Department's Procedural 

Regulations provide that the Department can act on an emergency exemption application 

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immediately. Designated agent for Volga-Dnepr will promptly advise the Department of the 

responses of the interested U.S. carriers to the telephone poll regarding this application. 

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WHEREFORE, Volga-Dnepr respectfully requests that the Department issue an 

emergency exemption permitting it to operate one (1) one-way cargo charter flights, utilizing 

Volga-Dnepr's AN-124-100 aircraft; to transport cargo from Huntsville, Alabama to Cape 

Canaveral AFS, Florida on or around November 5, 2012 - November 7, 2012, as described 

herein, and grant such further relief as the Department deems to be consistent with the public 

interest. 

Dated: June 08, 2015 

Respectfully submitted, 

Colon Miller 

Designated Agent for Volga-Dnepr Airlines 

(832) 585-8611 

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I hereby certify that I have on this day served a copy of the foregoing document upon all 

persons named on the attached service list via electronic mail. 

Colon Miller 

Dated: June 08, 2015 

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