BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Joint Application of

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

and

JOINT STOCK COMPANY “AEROFLOTRUSSIAN AIRLINES”

for statements of authorization pursuant to 

14 C.F.R. Part 212 and related exemptions 

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 (U.S. – Russia 

codesharing)

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Docket DOT-OST-2007-26805

JOINT APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

AND JOINT STOCK COMPANY “AEROFLOT-RUSSIAN AIRLINES”

 

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to:

Don H. Hainbach

Jason E. Maddux

GAROFALO GOERLICH HAINBACH PC

1200 New Hampshire Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

(202) 776-3970

dhainbach@ggh-airlaw.com

jmaddux@ggh-airlaw.com

For JOINT STOCK COMPANY “AEROFLOTRUSSIAN AIRLINES”

November 20, 2013

Alexander Van der Bellen, 

 Managing Director, Regulatory Affairs 

 and Associate General Counsel

Christopher Walker

 Regional Director, Regulatory Affairs

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

1212 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20005

(202) 842-4184

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

chris.walker@delta.com

For DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
 

BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Joint Application of

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

and

JOINT STOCK COMPANY “AEROFLOTRUSSIAN AIRLINES”

for statements of authorization pursuant to 

14 C.F.R. Part 212 and related exemptions 

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 (U.S. – Russia 

codesharing)

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)

)

)

)

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Docket DOT-OST-2007-26805

JOINT APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

AND JOINT STOCK COMPANY “AEROFLOT-RUSSIAN AIRLINES”

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) and Joint Stock Company “Aeroflot-Russian Airlines”

1

(“Aeroflot”) (together, the “Joint Applicants”) hereby apply for statements of authorization 

pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 212 and exemption authority pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 to 

permit the Joint Applicants to implement reciprocal codeshare services. The Joint 

Applicants seek to begin offering codeshare services as soon as possible. Accordingly, 

the Joint Applicants request that this application be promptly approved, that the requested 

exemptions be granted for a period so as to co-terminate with the Joint Applicants’

existing exemption authority in this docket,

2 and the requested statements of authorization 

be granted for an indefinite duration.3

More specifically, the Joint Applicants request the following authorities:

 1 Aeroflot, previously, registered the name Joint Stock Company “Aeroflot–Russian Airlines” 

pursuant to Part 215 of the Department’s regulations. 

2 Delta requests that the exemption authority it seeks in this application be granted for a period 

ending on June 27, 2015. See Notice of Action Taken issued June 27, 2013 (Docket DOT-OST2007-26805). Aeroflot requests that the exemption authority it seeks in this application be granted 

for a period ending on June 28, 2014. See Notice of Action Taken issued July 1, 2013 (Docket 

DOT-OST-2007-26805).

3

 The Joint Applicants hereby request a waiver of the 45-day advance filing requirement under 

Part 212 so that their codesharing services may be introduced without delay.
Joint Application of Delta and Aeroflot

Page 2

(a) an amended statement of authorization pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 212 to 

permit Aeroflot to display Delta’s “DL*” designator on flights operated by 

Aeroflot (1) between Moscow, Russia on the one hand, and Soci, Russia; 

Chelyabinsk, Russia; Volgograd, Russia; Perm, Russia; Irkutsk, Russia; Ufa, 

Russia; Kazan, Russia; Yerevan, Armenia; and Baku, Azerbaijan on the other 

hand, and (2) between Miami, FL on the one hand, and Moscow, Russia, on 

the other hand;

(b) an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 authorizing Delta to engage in 

scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail (1) between 

a point or points in the United States, on the one hand, and Soci, Russia; 

Chelyabinsk, Russia; Volgograd, Russia; Perm, Russia; Irkutsk, Russia; Ufa, 

Russia; Kazan, Russia; Yerevan, Armenia; and Baku, Azerbaijan on the other 

hand, and (2) between Miami, FL on the one hand, and Moscow, Russia, on 

the other hand; and

(c) an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 authorizing Aeroflot to engage in 

scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between 

Yerevan, Armenia and Baku, Azerbaijan through points in the Russian 

Federation to Anchorage; Atlanta; Baltimore; Bangor, ME; Boston; Buffalo, NY; 

Charleston, SC; Charlotte, NC; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus; 

Dallas/Ft. Worth; Denver; Detroit; Honolulu; Houston; Huntsville; Indianapolis; 

Jacksonville; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Nashville; New 

Orleans; New York; Norfolk, VA; Orlando, Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; 

Portland, OR; Raleigh-Durham, NC; Richmond, VA; Rochester, NY; Salt Lake 

City; San Antonio; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Louis; Syracuse, NY; 
Joint Application of Delta and Aeroflot

Page 3

Tampa; Toledo; Washington, DC; Montreal, Canada; Quebec City, Canada; 

and Toronto, Canada.

4

In support of this Application, the Joint Applicants submit the following:

1. The Joint Applicants require the authority from the Department described 

herein because Delta and Aeroflot wish to expand the list of routes on which they will 

codeshare. 

2. The Joint Applicants have agreed to new codesharing as follows:

• Aeroflot will display Delta’s “DL*” designator on flights operated by 

Aeroflot (1) between Moscow, Russia on the one hand, and Soci, 

Russia; Chelyabinsk, Russia; Volgograd, Russia; Perm, Russia; Irkutsk, 

Russia; Ufa, Russia; Kazan, Russia; Yerevan, Armenia; and Baku, 

Azerbaijan on the other hand, and (2) between Miami, FL on the one 

hand, and Moscow, Russia, on the other hand.

All codeshare traffic on beyond/behind segments will connect to/from transatlantic service 

on a blind-sector basis (i.e., there will be no local traffic carried under the marketing 

carrier’s code). On transatlantic segments, codeshare service will be sold both on a local 

market basis and to facilitate connecting traffic.

3. Aeroflot is a carrier of the Russian Federation, currently operating 

scheduled service between Moscow (SVO), on the one hand, and New York (JFK), 

Washington (IAD), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA) on the other hand, under its 

foreign air carrier permit (Order 86-5-75) and exemption authority (Docket 50385 (now 

Docket DOT-OST-1995-250), timely renewal application pending and authority 

 4 Aeroflot understands that it may serve Atlanta; Baltimore; Bangor, ME; Boston; Buffalo, NY; 

Charleston, SC; Charlotte, NC; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Denver; Detroit; 

Honolulu; Houston; Huntsville; Indianapolis; Jacksonville; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Nashville; New 

Orleans; Norfolk, VA; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Portland, OR; Raleigh-Durham, NC; 

Richmond, VA; Rochester, NY; Salt Lake City; San Antonio; San Diego; St. Louis; Syracuse, NY; 

Tampa; Toledo; Montreal, Canada; Quebec City, Canada; and Toronto, Canada as the marketing 

carrier on a code-share-only basis.
Joint Application of Delta and Aeroflot

Page 4

automatically extended pursuant to Part 377 of the Department’s regulations).5

 Aeroflot 

requires additional exemption authority for service to Yerevan, Armenia and Baku, 

Azerbaijan.

4. Delta holds authority to provide service between points in the United States 

and Moscow under segment 3 of Route 616 and Delta’s route integration certificate. 

Order 95-3-25 and Order 2010-12-24. Delta also holds exemption authority to provide 

scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between a point or 

points in the United States, on the one hand, and St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, and 

Koltsovo-Ekaterinburg, Russia, on the other hand. See, NOAT November 10, 2008 in 

Docket DOT-OST-2007-26805.6

 Pursuant to its blanket Open Skies certificate, Delta 

holds authority to serve Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Order 2007-4-27. Delta requires 

additional exemption authority for service to Soci, Russia; Chelyabinsk, Russia; 

Volgograd, Russia; Perm, Russia; Irkutsk, Russia; Ufa, Russia; Kazan, Russia; Yerevan, 

Armenia; and Baku, Azerbaijan. 

5. The codesharing services for which approval is requested are consistent 

with the U.S.-Russia Air Transport Agreement (“ATA”) (January 14, 1994) and the 2013 

U.S.-Russia Memorandum of Consultations (“MOC”) (February 14, 2013). Under Annex 

V, airlines of the United States and Russia may enter into codesharing arrangements for 

services on any of the agreed routes. Under Annex I, Section 3, paragraph G of the 

MOC, designated airlines may “operate combination...services to any third-country point 

not specified in Section 2 of this Annex, without traffic rights between the territory of the 

other Party and such unspecified point.” Under Annex I, Section 2 of the MOC, 

 5 Aeroflot’s various exemption authorities, which were originally issued in Dockets 47447, 47974, 

48050, 48889, 49439, and 49581, have been consolidated in Docket 50385 (now Docket DOTOST-1995-250).

6 Delta’s exemption authority remains in effect indefinitely pursuant to Part 377 of the Department’s 

regulations as a renewal application was timely filed on May 1, 2009.
Joint Application of Delta and Aeroflot

Page 5

designated airlines may operate “between points on [the specified] routes and any points 

in third countries through points in the territory of the Party which has designated the 

airlines.”

6. The same public interest considerations that supported the original grant of

codeshare authority to Delta and Aeroflot apply with equal force to the broader 

codesharing services contemplated by the instant application. Grant of this application 

will enhance competition and enable the Joint Applicants to expand their online service 

options to the benefit of travelers and shippers. 

WHEREFORE, based upon the foregoing, Joint Applicants respectfully request 

that they be granted statements of authorization and exemption authority in order to 

engage in the reciprocal codeshare services more fully described above.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Don H. Hainbach

________________________________ ________________________________

Don H. Hainbach

For JOINT STOCK COMPANY “AEROFLOTRUSSIAN AIRLINES”

Alexander Van der Bellen,

For DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
 

EXHIBIT A – Initial Codeshare Routes

Delta Code on Aeroflot

Between Moscow and:

Soci, Russia; 

Chelyabinsk, Russia; 

Volgograd, Russia; 

Perm, Russia; 

Irkutsk, Russia; 

Ufa, Russia; 

Kazan, Russia; 

Yerevan, Armenia; and 

Baku, Azerbaijan

Transatlantic Routes

Miami, FL-Moscow, Russia
 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

A copy of the foregoing document has been served this 20th day of November, 2013, 

upon the following persons via email:

Air Carrier Name Email Address

Alaska Airlines Marshall Sinick msinick@ssd.com

American Francis Heil francis.heil@aa.com

American Robert Wirick robert.wirick@aa.com

United Dan Weiss dan.weiss@united.com

United Thomas Bolling thomas.bolling@united.com

United Karine Faden karine.faden@united.com

United Oracio Marquez oracio.marquez@united.com

US Airways Benjamin Slocum benjamin.slocum@usairways.com

US Airways Howard Kass howard_kass@usairways.com

Kris Urs urskr@state.gov

Brett Kruger brett.kruger@dot.gov

Esta Rosenberg esta.rosenberg@dot.gov

Brian Hedberg brian.hedberg@dot.gov

Robert Finamore robert.finamore@dot.gov

Info info@airlineinfo.com