BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N - i - ? i A0 - S I OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETARY ' WASHINGTON , D.C . Motio n o f DELTAAI R LINES , INC . Fo rConfidentia l Treatmen t Unde rSectio n 302.1 2 Docke t OST-1995-65 1

MOTIO N O F DELT

AAI R LINES , INC . TO WITHHOL D INFORMATIO N FRO M PUBLI C DISCLOSUR E Communication s wit h respec t t o thi s documen t shoul d b e sen t to : Alexande rVa n de rBelle n Managin g Directo rGovernmen t Affairs & Associat e Genera l Counse l DELT AAI R LINES , INC . 121 2 NewYor k

Avenue , N.W . Suit e 20 0 Washington , D C 2000 5 (202)842-418 4 sascha . vanderbellen@clelta . co m

Februar y17 , 201 2BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . Motio n o f DELT AAI R LINES , INC . Fo rConfidentia l Treatmen t Unde rSectio n 302.1 2 Docke t OST-1995-65 1

MOTIO N O F DELT

AAI R LINES , INC . TO WITHHOL D INFORMATIO N FRO M PUBLI C DISCLOSUR E

Pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 302.12 , Delta Ai rLines , Inc . ("Delta" ) hereb yfile s thi s Motio n t o Withhol d Fro m Publi cDisclosure certai n commerciall yan d competitivel ysensitiv e informatio n containe d i n Delta' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B-7 , Airfram e an d Aircraft Engin e Acquisition s an d Retirement s fo rth e fourt h quarte rof 2011 . Delt a i s require d t o provid e th e confidentia l informatio n containe d i n Schedul e B-7 pursuan t t o Par t 24 1 o f th e Department' s Economi cRegulations , 1 4 CF R 241 . Th e informatio n fo rwhic h Delta i s requestin g confidentia l treatmen t fall s withi n Exemptio n 3 o f th e Freedo m o f Informatio n Act 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(3) , whic h exempt s fro m disclosur e informatio n require d b

ystatut e t o b e withheld . Exemptio n 3 provide s that :

(b ) Thi s sectio n doe s not appl yt o matters tha t are .. . * * * (3 ) specificall yexempte d fro m disclosur e bystatut e (othe rtha n sectio n 552(b ) of thi s title) , provide d tha tsuc h statut e (A) require s that th e matters t o b e withhel d fro m th e publi ci n suc h a manne ra s t o leav e n o discretio n o n th e issue , o r(B ) establishe s particula r criteri a fo rwithholdin g o rrefers t o particula rtype s o f matters t o b e withheld ; Sectio n 4011 5 o f Titl e 4 9 o f th e Unite d State s Code , formerl ySectio n 110 4 o f th e Federa l Aviatio n Act , provide s that th e Secretar yof Transportation , upo n motion , shal l orde rinformatio n withhel d fro m publi cdisclosur e whe n disclosure o f th e informatio n woul d "hav e a n advers e effect o n th e competitiv e positio n of a n ai rcarrie ri n foreig n ai rtransportation. " Th e Departmen t ha s previousl yfoun d tha t th e aircraft dat a reporte d o n For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 fo rwhic h Delt a herei n seeks confidentia l treatmen t woul d produc e th e har m specifie d i n Sectio n 40115. ^ Th e Department , i n grantin g confidentialityt o United , stated :

Unite d compete s wit h foreig n ai rcarriers tha t d o not repor t informatio n abou t th e cos t o f thei rindividua l airframe s an d aircraft engines . Thi s lac k

o f availabl e aircraft cos t informatio n fro m foreig n ai rcarriers create s a n environmen t wher e foreig n carriers ar e abl e t o acces s U.S . carrie raircraft cost informatio n fro m th e Department' s publi crecords , bu t U.S . carriers are unabl e t o acces s comparabl e dat a fo rthei rforeig n competitors . Thi s lac k of reciproca l acces s erode s th e competitivenes s of Unite d vi s a vi s it s foreig n competitors . Therefore , th e releas e o f aircraft inventor ycost dat a reporte d o n United' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B-7 ... , an d Schedul e B-43 .. . , woul d produc e th e har m specifie d i n Sectio n 1104 . Consequentl ythi s informatio n wil l b e withhel d fro m disclosur e unde rExemptio n 3 o f FOI Aan d Sectio n 1104 of th e Act . Like United , Delt a compete s wit h foreig n carriers tha t d o not repor t informatio n abou t th e cost o f thei rairframe s an d aircraft engine s ye t are fre e t o obtai n U.S . carrie rinformatio n fro m th e Department . I t woul d b e damagin g t o Delt a t o require i t t o divulg e t o it s non-reportin g foreig n fla g competitors th e fruit s o f it s competitiv e effort s wit h aircraft manufacturers t o secure th e best

^ Se e e.g. . Lette ro

f Offic e o f Airlin e Statistic

s grantin g Motio n o

f United Airlines , Inc. , date d Decembe r 29 , 199 3 (Docke t 48726) . Th e Departmen

t also granted confidentia l treatment to Schedule s B- 7 o f America n (b ylette rdated Novembe r1,1993 , Docke t 48800 ) an d Delt a (b ylette rdated Marc

h 29 , 1993 , Docke

t 48649) .possibl e purchas e price . ^ Th e Department , whe n decidin g United' s confidentialit ymotion , grante d Unite d a ten-yea r confidentia l perio d beginnin g o n th e dat e th e informatio n wa s require d t o b e file d pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 241.22(a) . Delt a request s simila rprotectio n wit h respec t t o it s Schedul e B-7 , whic h ha s bee n uploade d t o http://esubmit.rita.dot.qov . i n accordanc e wit h th e Department' s Fina l Rul e o n Submittin g Airlin e Dat a vi a th e Internet . WHEREFORE , Delt a request s tha t th e Department , pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 302.1 2 an d 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(3 ) an d (4) , withhol d fro m publi cdisclosur e th e financia l informatio n containe d i n Delta' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 fo ra perio d o f no t les s tha n te n years . Respectfull ysubmitted .

^ Delt a als o submit s that th e informatio n sough t t o b e withhel d fall s withi n Exemptio n 4 fro m th e Freedo m of Informatio n Act , 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(4) , whic h provide s protectio n fro m disclosure fo r"trad e secret s an d commercia l o rfinancial infomnatio n obtaine d fro m a perso n an d privilege d o rconfidential.... " Th e requeste d informatio n containe d i n Delta' s Schedul e B-7 satisf yal l thre e element s require d fo rprotectio n unde r Exemptio n 4 .