BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC., 

for an exemption pursuant to 

49 U.S.C. § 40109 

(U.S. – Mexico transborder routes) 

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Docket DOT-OST-2011- 

 

Joint Application of 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC., and 

AEROVIAS de MEXICO, S.A. de C.V. 

for a statement of authorization 

under 14 C.F.R. Part 212 

(U.S. – Mexico transborder routes) 

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JOINT APPLICATION OF 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC., and 

AEROVIAS de MEXICO, S.A. de C.V.

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to: 

William C. Evans 

LAW OFFICE OF JOHN L. MIETUS, LLC 

6701 Democracy Boulevard #300 

Bethesda, Maryland 20817 

(410) 827-5074 

bill@mietuslaw.com 

Counsel for 

AEROVIAS de MEXICO, S.A. de C.V. 

Alexander Van der Bellen 

Managing Director – Government Affairs 

 & Associate General Counsel 

Jeff Morgan 

Regional Director-Government Affairs 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

1212 New York Avenue, N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20005 

(202) 842-4184 

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

June 7, 2011 

Notice: Delta is polling the U.S. carriers on the service list attached to this 

Application and will inform the Department of the results. 
BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC., 

for an exemption pursuant to 

49 U.S.C. § 40109 

(U.S. – Mexico transborder routes) 

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)

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)

)

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)

)

Docket DOT-OST-2011- 

 

Joint Application of 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC., and 

AEROVIAS de MEXICO, S.A. de C.V. 

for a statement of authorization 

under 14 C.F.R. Part 212 

(U.S. – Mexico transborder routes) 

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JOINT APPLICATION OF 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC., and 

AEROVIAS de MEXICO, S.A. de C.V.

 Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) and Aerovias de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. 

(“Aeromexico”) (together, the “Joint Applicants”) hereby apply for authority to expand 

their codeshare arrangement to include the display of Delta’s “DL*” code on Aeromexico 

operated flights and/or Aeromexico flights operated with aircraft wet-leased from 

Aerolitoral, S.A. de C.V. dba Aeromexico Connect (“Aerolitoral”) on the following U.S. – 

Mexico transborder routes: 

 Fresno, California-Guadalajara, Mexico, 

San Antonio, Texas-Monterrey, Mexico, and 

 Chicago, Illinois-Durango, Mexico. 
Joint Application of Delta and Aeromexico 

Page 2 

 In support of this Joint Application, Delta and Aeromexico state as follows: 

1. The Joint Applicants request the issuance of the following authorities: 

a) an exemption to Delta, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109, authorizing Delta 

to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and 

mail on the Fresno-Guadalajara, San Antonio-Monterrey, and ChicagoDurango routes, and 

b) a statement of authorization to Aeromexico, pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 

212, to permit Aeromexico to display Delta’s “DL*” designator code on 

Aeromexico operated flights and/or Aeromexico flights operated with 

aircraft wet-leased from Aerolitoral on the Fresno-Guadalajara, San 

Antonio-Monterrey, and Chicago-Durango routes. 

2. Delta further requests the Department transmit the necessary codeshareonly designations to the Government of Mexico to facilitate Mexican licensing of the 

proposed services. 

3. The Joint Applicants plan to introduce the proposed codeshare services 

upon receipt of DOT and DGAC approval, and request that the exemption and statement 

of authorization be granted as soon as possible so that Delta is able to market and sell 

these services without delay.1

 Delta requests that its exemption authority be effective for 

a period of at least two years. Aeromexico requests that its statement of authorization 

remain in effect indefinitely, consistent with the duration of the U.S. – Mexico codeshare 

authorities granted by DOT Order 99-6-6. 

4. The proposed codeshare services will be operated pursuant to the existing 

Delta/Aeromexico codeshare agreement on file with the Department. 

5. Delta is fit, willing, and able to perform the services applied for herein. 

Delta operates numerous services between the United States and Mexico under various 

 

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The Joint Applicants request a waiver of the 45-day advance filing requirement for codeshare 

statements of authorization under 14 C.F.R. Part 212 so that the proposed codeshare services 

may begin without delay.
Joint Application of Delta and Aeromexico 

Page 3 

exemptions and pursuant to Delta’s certificate authority for Route 901. See Order 2010-

3-12. Delta hereby requests that the Department take official notice, pursuant to Rule 24 

of the Department’s Rules of Practice, of all data on file with the Department necessary 

to establish Delta’s fitness. Aerolitoral holds the requisite statement of authorization to 

permit it to wet lease aircraft to Aeromexico on a long-term basis. See Undocketed 

Department action dated May 12, 2011 approving Aerolitoral’s request to renew the 

requisite authority. Aeromexico holds the underlying economic authority to serve the 

subject routes, as follows: Fresno-Guadalajara (NOAT March 4, 2011 in DOT-OST2011-0042, San Antonio-Monterrey (NOAT December 16, 2010 in DOT-OST-2009-

0159), and Chicago-Durango (NOAT December 14, 2010 in DOT-OST-2005-21605). 

6. Approval of the requested authority is in the public interest and will 

provide important new service and competitive options to U.S. – Mexico travelers and 

shippers. Authorizing Delta to display its code on Aeromexico’s transborder flights will 

enhance competition and expand price and service options for U.S. – Mexico travelers. 

7. Approval of the exemption and statement of authorization is consistent 

with the U.S. – Mexico Air Transport Services Agreement, including the amendment that 

was signed on December 12, 2005. The Department has granted multiple similar 

U.S. – Mexico transborder codesharing requests, finding that the exercise of such 

codeshare rights “will benefit travelers, shippers, businesses, cities, airlines, and 

airports.” DOT Order 99-6-6, at 6. Moreover, the amended agreement authorizes up to 

ten U.S. carriers to provide codeshare services on any nonstop U.S. – Mexico city-pair 

segment, leaving abundant opportunities for other carriers. 

8. Delta further states that the services for which it seeks the authority 

described in this Joint Application will have no impact on its CRAF commitments. 
Joint Application of Delta and Aeromexico 

Page 4 

 WHEREFORE, Delta and Aeromexico request that the Department promptly 

grant the exemption and statement of authorization described herein. 

Respectfully submitted, 

/s/ William C. Evans /s/ 

_______________________ _____________________ 

William C. Evans 

Law Office of John L. Mietus, LLC 

Counsel for 

AEROVIAS de MEXICO, S.A. de C.V. 

Alexander Van der Bellen 

Managing Director, Government Affairs 

 & Associate General Counsel 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 A copy of the foregoing Joint Application has been served this 7th day of June, 

2011 upon the following persons via email: 

Carrier Name Email Address 

AirTran Edward Faberman efaberman@wileyrein.com 

Alaska Marshall Sinick msinick@ssd.com 

American Carl Nelson carl.nelson@aa.com 

Frontier/Republic Bob Cohn robert.cohn@hoganlovells.com 

Frontier/Republic Pat Rizzi patrick.rizzi@hoganlovells.com 

JetBlue Jonathan Hill jhill@dowlohnes.com 

JetBlue Robert Land robert.land@jetblue.com 

Spirit Airlines David Kirstein dkirstein@yklaw.com 

Spirit Airlines Joanne Young jyoung@yklaw.com 

Sun Country John Fredericksen John.Fredericksen@suncountry.com 

United/Continental Dan Weiss dan.weiss@coair.com 

United/Continental Thomas Bolling thomas.bolling@coair.com 

US Airways Benjamin Slocum benjamin.slocum@usairways.com 

US Airways Howard Kass howard_kass@usairways.com 

USA 3000 Pierre Murphy pmurphy@lopmurphy.com 

Virgin America Barbara Russell barbara.russell@virginamerica.com 

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov 

brian.hedberg@dot.gov 

info@airlineinfo.com