BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

_____________________________________ Joint Application of )

)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. and )

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC. )

) Docket DOT

- OST

__________ under 49 U.S.C. § 40109 for renewal and )

reissuance of exemption authority )

(U.S.

– CARIBBEAN) )

_____________________________________ )

JOINT APPLICATION

FOR RENEWAL AND REISSUANCE OF EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to:

Bob Jordan Robert W. Kneisley

President Associate General Counsel

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC. Leslie C. Abbott

2702 Love Field Drive Senior Attorney

Dallas, TX 75235

- 1611 SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

919 18 th Street, NW, Suite 600

Washington, D.C. 20006

bob.kneisley@wnco.com

(202) 263

- 6284

September 24 , 2013

NOTICE : Any person may file an answer to this Application in this docket and

served on the persons listed above, on or before October 9 , 201 3

. WE WILL POLL

THE CARRIERS ON THE ATTACHED SERVICE LIS T AND WILL NOTIFY TH E

DEPARTMENT OF THE RE SULTS AS SOON AS POS SIB LE.1 BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

_____________________________________ Joint Application of )

)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. and )

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC. )

) Docket D O T

- O S T

-

__________ under 49 U.S.C. § 40109 for renewal and )

reissuance of exemption authority )

(U.S.

– CARIBBEAN) )

_____________________________________ )

JOINT APPLICATION

FOR RENEWAL AND REISSUANCE OF EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and Subpart C of Part 302 (14 C.F.R.), Southwest

Airlines Co. (“Southwest”) a n d AirTra n Airways, Inc. (“AirTran”) hereby file this

Application for Renewal and Reissuance of Exemption Authority with the Department of

Transporta tion (“DOT” or “the Department”) to continue to provide scheduled foreign air

transportation of persons, property, and mail between the United States and the

following countries :

(i) Aruba Docket D O T

- OST

- 2009

- 0200

(ii) Nassau, Bahamas Docket D O T

- OST

- 2009

- 0202

(iii) Bermuda Docket D O T

- OST

- 2010

- 0292

(iv) Dominican Republic Docket D O T

- OST

- 2010

- 0158

(v) Jamaica Docket D O T

- OST

- 2009

- 0201

All of the above authorities were originally issued in the name of AirTran only. By

Order 2011

- 11

- 17 (AirTran/Southwest Order Transferring Authority), the Department2

transferred all of the AirTran authorities to “AirTran and/or Southwest.” 1 Consistent with

this Order, the carriers request that the Department formalize this transfer in the

reissuance of the above referenced exemption authorities in the name of “Southwest

Airlines Co. and/or AirTran Airways, Inc” a n d c o n s o l i d a t e t h e a u t h o r i t i e s i n t o a s i n g l e

d o c k e t

. Service in the above refere nced U.S.

-- Caribbean markets has been

continuously provided by AirTran. This renewal will allow AirTran to continue serving

these markets for the present time and will facilitate a smooth transition to Southwest

service in its own name, which is current ly expected to begin in 2014.

Renewal and reissuance of the subject exemption authoriti es contained in this

A pplication is in the public interest for the same reasons that supported the original

issuance of the authorit ies

. Specifically, AirTran’s servi ce has provided consumers in all

of these markets with high

- quality, low

- cost travel options and low

- fare competition

.

AirTran provides this service with Stage III Boeing 737

- 700 aircraft configured for 137

seats

. AirTran will continue to provide such ser vice in the near term and the eventual

conversation of flights on these routes to the Southwest brand will only increase the

public benefits. With its extensive domestic network and long history of lowering fares

and increasing com petition, Southwest is well positioned to generate significant

economic and cons umer benefits when it initiates international service in its own name

in 2014

.

AirTran and Southwes t both hold certificates of public convenience and necessity

authorizing each carrier to engage in scheduled air transportation

. A c c o r d i n g l y

, b oth

carriers are fit, willing and able to provide the services for which they jointly seek to

1 Order 2011

- 11

- 17 issued on Sept

. 15, 2011 in Docket No. OST

- 2011

- 0051

.3

renew. I n addition to the ex emption authority referenced in this renewal application,

AirTran also holds exemption authority to serve n u m e r o u s destinations in Mexico

. See

,

e.g.

, Docket s D O T

- OST

- 2005

- 21134 (ATL/BWI

- CUN), D O T

- OST

- 2011

- 0205

(SNA/SAT

- MEX) and D O T

- OST

- 20 12

- 0190 ( DEN

- SJD). As the largest U.S. domestic

airline carrying over 100 million passengers a n n u a l l y

, Southwest is manifestly fit to

provide service as well. 2 The carriers request that the Department take official notice,

pursuant to Rule 24 of the Department's Rules of Prac tice, of all data on file with the

Department necessary to establish AirTran and Southwest 's fitness.

The requested renewal and reissuance of exemption authority is fully consis tent

with the aviation agreements and aviation relationships between the United States and

the subject countries.

WHEREFORE, Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways jointly request renewal

and reissuance of exemption authority in the name of Southwest Airlines Co. and/or

AirTran Airways, Inc. under 49 U.S.C. § 40109 for a minimum of two years to provide

scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail in the above

referenced markets.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________ Robert W. Kneisley

September 2 4 , 2013

2 See, e.g. , the Department’s 2011 Order Transferring Authority finding AirTran and Southwest fit to

conduct operations as U.S. certificated air carriers. See Order 2011

- 11

- 17 issued on Sept. 15, 2011 in

Docket D O T

- OST

- 2011

- 0051

, p

. 5 and note 17.4 C ERTIFICATE OF SERVIC E

I hereby certify that on September 2 4 , 2013 , a copy of the foregoing was served

via e

- mail on the following persons:

msinick@ssd.com (Alaska Airlines)

francis.heil@aa.com (American Airlines)

Robert.wirick@aa.com (American Airlines)

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com (Delta Air Lines)

robert.cohn@hoganlovells.com (Frontier Airlines)

Patrick.rizzi@hoganlovells.com (Frontier Airlines)

jhill@dowlohnes .com (JetBlue Airways)

robert.land@jetblue.com (JetBlue Airways)

jyoung@yklaw.com (Spirit Airlines)

dkirstein@yklaw.com (Spirit Airlines)

John.Fredericksen@suncountry.com (Sun Country Airlines)

dan.weiss@united.com (United Air Lines)

howard_kass@usairways.com (US Airways)

ben.slocum@usairways.com (US Airways)

pmurphy@lopmurphy.com (USA3000)

jegillick@zsrlaw.com (Virgin America)

barbara.russell@virginamerica.com (Virgin America)

susan.kurland@dot.gov

paul.gretch@dot.gov

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov

brian.hedberg@dot.gov

brett.kruger@dot.gov

info@airlineinfo.com

__________________________ Leslie C. Abbott