BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.

Joint Application of DELTA AIR LINES, INC. CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC. for a statement of authorization pursuant to 14 C.F R. Part 212 and amended exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 (U.S.-China Codesharing) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Dockets DOT-OST-1997-2653 DOT-OST-1999-5031 DOT-OST-2001-9314 DOT-OST-2001-10172

JOINT APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC., CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED AND SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC. FOR A STATEMENT OF AUTHORIZATION AND AN AMENDED EXEMPTION Communications with respect to this document should be sent to: Alexander Van der Bellen, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Associate General Counsel Jeff Morgan Regional Director, Government Affairs DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 1212 New York Avenue, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 842-4184 sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com George U. Carneal HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20004 (202) 637-6546 george.carneal@hoganlovells.com

Counsel for CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED September 7, 2011 Todd C. Emerson, Esq. SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC. 444 South River Road St. George, Utah 84790 temerson@skywest.com Lorraine B. Halloway Gerald F. Murphy CROWELL & MORING LLP 1001 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. Washington, DC 20004 (202) 624-2500 lhalloway@crowell.com gmurphy@crowell.com Counsel for SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC.

Notice: The Joint Applicants intend to poll the U.S. carrier representatives on the attached service list regarding this Application and will notify the Department of the results as soon as possible.BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.

Joint Application of DELTA AIR LINES, INC. CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC. for a statement of authorization pursuant to 14 C.F R. Part 212 and amended exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 (U.S.-China Codesharing) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Dockets DOT-OST-1997-2653 DOT-OST-1999-5031 DOT-OST-2001-9314 DOT-OST-2001-10172

JOINT APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC., CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED AND SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC. FOR A STATEMENT OF AUTHORIZATION AND AN AMENDED EXEMPTION

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”), China Southern Airlines Company Limited (“China Southern”) and SkyWest Airlines, Inc. (“SkyWest”) (together, the “Joint Applicants”) hereby apply for authority to expand China Southern’s existing codesharing on Delta to include Delta Connection operations by SkyWest. Specifically, pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 212, SkyWest seeks a blanket statement of authorization allowing SkyWest to display China Southern’s “CZ*” code on Delta Connection flights SkyWest operates: (a) within the United States (in conjunction with China Southern’s services in foreign air transportation), and (b) between the United States and third countries. SkyWest’s requests that its statement of authorization be valid for an indefinite period subject to the Department’s

normal code share conditions. 1 Furthermore, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109, China Southern seeks amendment of its existing exemption authority for codesharing with Delta to authorize the codesharing

1 To the extent necessary, the Joint Applicants request a waiver of the 45-day advance filing requirement for codeshare statements of aut horization under 14 C.F.R. Part 212.Joint Application of Delta, China Southern, and SkyWest Page 2 services under the exemption to be operated by SkyWest or any other authorized U.S. air carrier. China Southern requests that the amended exemption authority remain in effect for a period of at least one year. In support of this Joint Application, Delta, China Southern, and SkyWest state as

follows: 1. SkyWest is a certificated U.S. air carrier that operates flights for marketing and sale by Delta. 2. The Department has previously approved Delta/China Southern blanket statements of authorization for reciprocal codesharing. See Notice of Action Taken dated March 11, 2008, Dockets DOT-OST-1997-2653, DOT-OST-1999-5031, DOT-OST-2001- 9314, and DOT-OST-2001-10172. The proposed services are fully consistent with the Department’s prior codeshare approval and also with the Air Transport Agreement, as amended, between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. 3. Delta, China Southern, and SkyWest have agreed to expand codesharing to encompass flights operated by SkyWest on Delta’s behalf. Accordingly, the Joint Applicants request a blanket statement of authorization under 14 C.F.R. Part 212, permitting SkyWest to display China Southern’s “CZ*” designator code on flights operated by SkyWest: (a) within the United States (in conjunction with China Southern’s services in foreign air transportation), and (b) between the United States and third countries. 4. The proposed codeshare services will be operated pursuant to the Delta/China Southern codeshare agreement pr eviously approved by the Department and an ancillary Delta/China Southern/SkyWest codeshare agreement. A redacted copy of the ancillary Delta/China Southern/SkyWest codeshare agreement is attached to this Application. 5. China Southern holds broad exemption authority to codeshare on Delta. That authority was last renewed for one year by Notice of Action Taken datedJoint Application of Delta, China Southern, and SkyWest Page 3 December 5, 2008 in Docket DOT-OST-1999-5031. A timely renewal application filed on December 2, 2009 remains pending. The existing exemption authority is “limited to operations conducted only through [China Southern’s] code-share arrangements with Continental [which has been discontinued] and Delta, on flights operated by these U.S. air carriers.” China Southern requests that this exemption be amended to include flights operated not only by Delta and SkyWest but, for the sake of administrative efficiency (particularly if additional Delta Connection carriers are added to the arrangement in the future), also by any other U.S. air carrier holding the necessary statement of authorization. 6. The same public interest considerations that supported the grant of codeshare authority to China Southern and Delta apply with equal force to the services operated by SkyWest on behalf of Delta. China Southern and Delta have a longstanding codesharing relationship, and grant of this application will enable China Southern to further expand its on-line service options, prov iding important new service and competitive options to U.S.–China travelers and shippers. 7. To the extent necessary, the Joint Applicants request that the Department consolidate this application into the existing Delta/China Southern codeshare dockets (DOT-OST-1997-2653, DOT-OST-1999- 5031, DOT-OST-2001-9314, and DOT-OST2001-10172). The Joint Applicants further request that the authority requested here for China Southern codesharing on SkyWest be administered jointly with the authority for China Southern codesharing on Delta such that any beyond U.S. gateway point notice given for Delta or SkyWest operations is deemed notice for either carrier. The Joint Applicants will continue to rely on the established practice whereby any notice for a beyond U.S. gateway point is deemed notice for that point via all authorized gateways. The Joint Applicants incorporate by reference all previous codeshare-point notices provided in the Delta/China Southern codeshare dockets. The Joint Applicants note thatJoint Application of Delta, China Southern, and SkyWest Page 4 their initial codeshare markets (listed at Exhibit A-2 to the attached codeshare agreement) have all been previously noticed in the Delta/China Southern codeshare dockets. 8. SkyWest is not a CRAF participant. 9. The Joint Applicants will conduct these codeshare services in accordance with 14 C.F.R. Part 257 and the other conditions normally imposed by the Department on codesharing statements of authorization. WHEREFORE, Delta, China Southern, and SkyWest request that the Department promptly grant the authority described herein.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ George U. Carneal /s/ Gerald F. Murphy

________________________________ ________________________________ George U. Carneal HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

Counsel for CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED Gerald F. Murphy Lorraine B. Halloway CROWELL & MORING LLP

Counsel for SKYWEST AIRLINES, INC.

________________________________ Alexander Van der Bellen Managing Director, Government Affairs & Associate General Counsel DELTA AIR LINES, INC.CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE A copy of the foregoing document has been served this 7th day of September, 2011, upon the following persons via email:

carl.nelson@aa.com dan.weiss@coair.com thomas.bolling@united.com howard.kass@usairways.com benjamin.slocum@usairways.com esta.rosenberg@dot.gov keith.glatz@dot.gov info@airlineinfo.com