AFS-12-117-E 

April 10, 2012 

 

Exemption No. 8684D 

Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2006-23640 

Mr. Lyle Hogg 

Vice President, Flight Operations 

US Airways, Inc. 

4000 East Sky Harbor Boulevard 

Phoenix, AZ 85034

Dear Mr. Hogg: 

This letter is to inform you that we have amended Exemption No. 8684, as amended. It 

explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the revised conditions and 

limitations. 

The Basis for Our Decision 

On October 5, 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued Exemption 

No. 8684C to US Airways, Inc. (US Airways). That exemption from § 121.619 of Title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) allows US Airways, its certified dispatchers, and its 

pilots in command (PIC) to dispatch flights to domestic airports at which, for at least 1 hour 

before and 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival at the destination airport, the appropriate 

weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, indicate the ceiling may be reduced 

from at least 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, and visibility may be 

reduced from at least 3 statute miles to 2 statute miles. 

Our Decision 

The FAA has amended the conditions and limitations of this exemption to standardize it with 

those of other similarly situated operators (See Exemption Nos. 8653, 8658, 10000, 10332). 

This amended exemption combines Exemption No. 8684 and the provisions of operations 

specification C355 (Exemption to §121.619 for Domestic Destination Alternate Airport 
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Requirements), therefore, the operations specification is no longer required, and should be 

archived after the conditions of this exemption have been implemented. 

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

has delegated to me, I hereby grant US Airways, Inc., an exemption from 

14 CFR § 121.619 to allow US Airways, its certificated dispatchers, and its PICs to dispatch 

aircraft to domestic airports without designating an alternate for the destination airport where for 

at least 1 hour before and 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival at the destination airport the 

appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, indicate the ceiling will be 

at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation and visibility will be at least 3 statute miles for 

airports utilizing CAT I authorizations or the visibility will be at least 2 statute miles for airports 

utilizing CAT II or CAT III authorizations, subject to the revised conditions and limitations 

listed below. 

Conditions and Limitations 

1. Before conducting operations under this exemption, US Airways must obtain an updated 

operations specification A005 (Exemptions and Deviations) that provides for operations 

under this exemption. 

2. Operations under this exemption are limited to only those destination airports in the 

contiguous United States. 

3. Operations conducted under this exemption must use a current and qualified aircraft 

dispatcher. 

4. Operations under this exemption are limited to only those airports at which an operable 

instrument landing system (ILS) procedure is published. Alternate minimums are 

predicated on the following table: 

Table 1 - Alternate Minimums (Ceiling and Visibility Required) 

Operable ILS Ceiling Required Visibility Required 

Category I 1,000 feet above 

ground level (AGL) 

3 statute miles 

Category II 1,000 feet AGL 2 statute miles 

Category III 1,000 feet AGL 2 statute miles 

5. Before conducting operations under this exemption, US Airways must demonstrate to the 

satisfaction of the FAA principal operations inspector (POI) assigned to the US Airways 

Airlines Certificate Management Office that: 
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a. Each US Airways dispatcher has a system available to display the location of 

each flight within 3 minutes of real time; 

b. Each US Airways dispatch facility has a system that provides its dispatchers 

with overlays of weather returns updated at least once every 5 minutes; 

c. Each US Airways dispatch facility has a system that provides its dispatchers 

with a display of the specific aircraft routing as assigned by air traffic control 

(ATC) and actual filed flight plan routing;

d. Each US Airways dispatcher must have the capability to expeditiously 

recompute projected arrival fuel from a “point aloft” to the intended 

destination in the event conditions, including those required to be reported in 

Condition No. 8 below, occur that negatively impact the flight; 

e. Each US Airways dispatcher must have data available that will show aircraft 

status, including the aircraft capability to conduct CAT I, CAT II or CAT III 

operations as applicable to the exemption being used; 

f. Each US Airways dispatcher has a system available to display locations of 

other airborne aircraft including aircraft of other operators; 

g. Each US Airways dispatch facility has a system available that provides its 

dispatchers with a display of planned and actual fuel at regular intervals along 

the route and the difference between planned and actual fuel; 

h. Each US Airways dispatch facility has a system available that automatically 

alerts its dispatchers to special weather updates, changes in weather reports, 

forecasts and/or other significant weather-related reports, and ensures that 

these can be relayed to flightcrews in an expeditious manner; 

i. Each US Airways dispatcher is provided the capability to access the services 

of a qualified meteorologist approved by the POI whenever the dispatcher 

believes that consultation is necessary to ensure safety of operations under this 

exemption. The presence of an approved Enhanced Weather Information 

System program satisfies this requirement; and 

j. Each dispatch release issued in accordance with this exemption will contain a 

statement such as “ALTERNATE WEATHER EXEMPTION APPLIED. 

REFERENCE (APPROPRIATE DOCUMENT SUCH AS FLIGHT 

OPERATIONS MANUAL, GENERAL OPERATONS MANUAL, ETC.).” 

The certificate holder may choose to use other wording, if desired, but the 

meaning must be clear. 
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6. The reporting requirements of the flightcrews listed in Condition No. 8, Mandatory Pilot 

Reports, and the required dispatch flight planning and tracking systems in Condition No. 5 

must be used to determine the feasibility of dispatching the flight under this exemption 

and/or continuing the flight after dispatch. 

7. Approved Procedures. If the use of these systems, reports or the occurrence of other 

factors indicate that the conditions under which the flight was originally dispatched have 

changed and may negatively impact the flight, the dispatcher and flightcrew must reevaluate the continued operation of the flight using approved procedures, and if necessary, 

agree on an alternate plan as soon as possible after the occurrence of any of the following: 

a. En route holding or delaying vectors, airspeed changes, altitude changes, or reroutings; 

b. Unplanned or sustained use of deicing and anti-icing systems or other factors 

directly relating to fuel consumption that may have a negative effect on trip fuel 

requirements; 

c. The deterioration of destination weather below a 1,000-foot ceiling and 2-mile 

visibility if using an exemption that requires at least 3 statute miles visibility as 

listed in Table 1; and 

d. The deterioration of destination weather below a 1,000-foot ceiling and 1-mile 

visibility if using an exemption that requires for at least 2 statute miles visibility as 

listed in Table 1. 

8. Mandatory Pilot Reports. Pilots will notify Dispatch as soon as possible in the event of 

any of the following: 

a. Lateral deviation from the planned route by greater than 100 NM; 

b. Vertical deviation from the planned altitude by greater than 4000 feet; 

c. ETA will exceed planned by greater than 15 minutes; 

d. Fuel consumption in excess of planned that may have a negative effect on trip fuel 

requirements; 

e. Fuel system component failure or apparent malfunction that may have a negative 

effect on trip fuel requirements; 

f. The flight encounters weather significantly different than forecast, to include 

turbulence; 

g. The flight is assigned en route or arrival holding; and 

h. Unplanned or sustained use of deicing or anti-icing systems. 

9. US Airways must maintain CAT I (operations specification C074)/CAT II/CAT III 

(operations specification C059) ILS approach authorization (as applicable) for those 
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aircraft to which this exemption would apply, and each aircraft must have fully operating 

equipment needed for the appropriate CAT I/CAT II/CAT III ILS approach for that 

aircraft to operate under this exemption. 

10. At the time of dispatch, the flight crew must be qualified to conduct a CAT I/CAT II/ 

CAT III ILS approach to published minimums (as applicable). PICs with less than the 

requisite minimum hours specified in § 121.652 cannot be used in operations under this 

exemption, unless the operator also holds Exemption No. 5549, the PIC has been trained 

in accordance with the requirements of that exemption, and all of the conditions specified 

by Exemption No. 5549 are met. 

11. Operations are not permitted under this exemption at any airport at which thunderstorms 

are reported or forecast from 1 hour before through 1 hour after the estimated arrival time 

if such reports or forecasts are in either or both the main body or the remarks section of 

the weather report or the weather forecast. Furthermore, US Airways cannot use 

Exemption No. 3585 (as amended) issued to Air Transport Association of America, Inc., 

members (including US Airways) or any subsequent exemption granting similar relief 

regarding any kind of forecast of thunderstorms at the destination airport in conjunction 

with any operation conducted under this exemption. 

12. Each certificated US Airways dispatcher and PIC, who conducts operations under this 

exemption, must be provided with a copy of pertinent parts of this exemption. Operations 

under this exemption are permitted by US Airways dispatchers and PICs but are not 

required. 

13. Use of this exemption in operations to destinations outside the contiguous United States is 

prohibited. US Airways is authorized to use this exemption in operations to airports 

within the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia from airports outside those 

boundaries provided US Airways also holds operations specification A012 (Part 121 

Domestic Operations to Certain Airports Outside the 48 Contiguous States and Alaska) 

and operations are conducted in accordance with the appropriate provisions of that 

operations specification as they pertain to operations from Alaska and/or the airports 

listed in Table 1 thereof. 

14. US Airways must provide the Administrator, by the 15TH day of each month, reports that 

include the information listed below, during the preceding calendar month. The POI is 

authorized to delete this reporting requirement once US Airways has conducted operations 

under this exemption satisfactorily for at least 24 continuous calendar months and 

sufficient data to thoroughly evaluate operational performance have been obtained. 

Reports must contain the following information: 

a. The total number of flights operated by US Airways under domestic rules to 

destinations within the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia; 
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b. The total number of flights operated under this exemption, including those 

flights conducted under the appropriate provisions and limitations of 

operations specification A012. For each flight operated, the dates; airport pairs; 

flight numbers; aircraft make, model, and serial number; trended or graphical 

summary of flight planned fuel vs. actual arrival fuel; and contingency fuel 

must be listed. Report format shall be in chronological order by fleet type; 

c. The total number of flights that divert to an alternate airport; 

d. The total number of flights that divert to an alternate airport that are separated 

under this exemption, and the reason for each diversion, such as weather 

conditions, mechanical problem, fuel quantity, passenger problem, air traffic, 

crewmember, or any other reason. US Airways must fully document each 

diversion; and 

e. The total number of US Airways flights, operated under this exemption, that 

declare an emergency and the reason for such declaration, or during which 

flight a low fuel state occurs that results in actions being taken by ATC and/or 

dispatch to provide priority handling, even if no emergency is declared. 

The Effect of Our Decision 

The termination date of Exemption No. 8684, as amended, remains January 31, 2014, unless 

sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ 

John S. Duncan 

Deputy Director, Flight Standards 

 Service