# allegian t www.allegiantair.co m 836 0 Sout h Durang o Drive • Las Vegas , N V 8911 3 Piione : (702 ) 851-730 0 • Fax : (702 ) 851-730 1

J - z o 5 ^ Apri l 2,201 0 Docke t Managemen

t Facilit y U S Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 New Jerse y Avenue , S E Wes t Buildin g Ground Floo r Roo mW 12-140 Washington , D C 2059 0 Allegian t Ai r Petitio n fo r

Exemptio n Summar y Pursuan t to th e provisio n o f

Titl e 1 4 CF

R§11.25 , Allegian

t Air hereb y request s a

n exemptio n fromth e follovsdn g section s o f

Titl e 1 4 CF

RPar t 121 : § 121.623(a

) an d (d) ; §121.643 ; and §121.645(e ) Th e requeste d exemptio n woul d permi t th e Petitione

r t o conduc t it s supplementa

l operation s withi n th e 4 8 contiguou s Unite d State s and th e Distric t o f Colianbi ausin g th e flight regulation s fo

r alternat e airpor t (§121.619 ) an

d fue l reserv e requirement s (§121.639 ) tha

t are applicabl e to domesti c operation s rathe r tha n supplementa

l requirement s citie d above . Specifically , Allegian

t Air woul d b e permitte d to conduc t operation s v^dthou

t listin g a n alternat e airpor t whe n th e weathe

r reports , forecasts , or

an y combinatio n thereof

, indicat e tha t th e ceilin g wil l b e a

t leas t 2,00 0 fee t abov e th e airpor

t elevation , and th e visibilit

y

•www.allegiantair.com Bwil l b e at leas t thre e (3 ) mile s fo r

aperio d o f

on e hou r befor e t o on e hou r

afte r th e estimate d tim e o f

arrival .

FAR' s Affecte d §121.623(a ) provides , i n pertinen t part , tha t eac h perso n releasin g a n aircraf t fo r operatio n unde r

IF Rshal l lis t

at leas t on e alternat e airpor t

fo r eac h destinatio n airpor t

i n th e flight release . §121.623(d ) provides , i n pertinen t part , tha t n o perso n ma y releas e aflight unles s h e list s eac h alternat e airpor t

i n th e flight

release . §121.64 3 provides , i n pertinen t part , tha t n o perso n ma y releas e fo r flight o r takeof f a nonturbin e o r

turbopropelle r

powere d airplan e unless , considerin g th e win d an d othe r weathe r condition s expected , i t

ha s enoug h fiiel - 1 . T o fly t o an d lan d a t

th e airpor t

t o whic h i t

i s released ; 2 . Thereafter , t o fly t o an d lan d a t th e mos t distan t alternat e airpor t

specifie d i n th e flight release ; an d 3 . Thereafter , t o fly fo r

4 5 minute s at

norma l cruisin g ftiel consumptio n §121.645(e ) provides , i n pertinen t part , tha t th e fuel requirement s o f

§121.64 3 appl y t o ai r carrier s conductin g supplementa l operation s withi n th e 4 8 contiguou s State s an d th e Distric t o f Columbi awit h aturbin e powere d airplane .

4/2/201 0Allegian

t Air , believe s tha

t grantin g thi s exemptio n afford s a n equivalen

t or greate r level o f safet y t o tha t provide d fo

r i n FA Rsection s 121.623(a

) an d 121.623(d) , 121.643 , an

d 121.645(d) . Allegiant

Air offers in suppor

t o f thi s Petitio n fo

r Exemptio n an

d state d in applicabl e part : Allegian t Ai r maintain s asuperior

operation s contro l center , FA A license d dispatcher s an d advance d flight

following equipment . Allegian t Air' s flight

followin g systemi s enhance d b y th e computers , weather , and rada r system s i t uses . I n addition , Allegian

t Ai r maintain s th e capabilit

y o f coas t to coas t two wa y communication s wit

h it s aircraf

t a s wel l a s th e abilit

y to continuously communicat e changin g weathe

r pattern s t o airborn e flight crews . The System s Operation s Cente r unite s th e variou s component s of th e Allegiant

Air' s flight following system . It

house s th e aircraf

t dispatchers , cre w schedulers , and othe r suppor t group s includin g maintenanc e controller s and custome r servic e coordinators , an

d advance d electroni c aids . The dispatcher s hav e specialize d workstation s designe d to provide ahig h leve l o f

flight safety . Allegian

t Air' s flight

plannin g systemallow s dispatcher s to generat

e compute r flight plan s accurately illustratin g rout e and fiael requirement s throughout

th e Unite d States . Thi s flight plannin g systemafford s Allegiant Ai r extrem e accurac y i n it s calculatio n o f fue l bu mrates . Unlik e othe r airlines , Allegiant

Air ha s alo w dispatch-to-fligh t ratio . Withi n th e industry , i t i s no t uncommo n fo

r on e dispatche

r t o monitor

thirt y to fort y flights. A

t Allegian t Air ,

4/2/201 0th e rati o o f dispatcher s t o flights i s approximately one to fifteen. Thi s rati o greatl y enhance s flight

safety .

Technica l Dat a Allegian t Air conduct s it s Domesti c operation s withi n th e 4 8 contiguou s Unite d State s and th e Distric t

o f Coliunbi ai n complianc e wit h th e flight

releas e (dispatc h release ) and fue l reserv e rule s fo

r Domesti c operations . Allegian t Air als o conduct s it s Supplementa l operation s withi n th e 4 8 contiguou s State s and th e Distric t o f Columbi ain complianc e wit h th e flight

releas e (dispatc h release ) an d fiiel reserv e rule s fo

r Supplementa

l operations . Thi s include s th e requiremen t tha t th e compan

y lis t a t leas t on e alternat

e airpor t fo r eac h destinatio n airpor

t in th e flight

release . §121.645(e ) make s th e ftiel reserv e requirement s o f

§121.64 3 applicabl e t

o turbojet operation s and requir

e tha t n o supplementa

l operator ma y releas e fo

r flight o r takeof f a n airplan e imless , considerin g th e wind an d othe r weathe r condition s excepted , i t

ha s enough fiiel 1 . T o fly to and lan d a

t th e airpor t to which i t

i s released : 2 . Thereafter , t o fly to an d land a t th e mos t distant alternat e airpor t specifie d in th e flight release ; an d 3 . Thereafter , to fly fo

r 4 5 minute s a

t norma l cruisin g fiiel consumptio n

4/2/201 0The rule s cite d tha t are applicabl e t o Supplementa l operation s diffe

r i n certai n key respect s t o simila

r dispatchin g requirement s fo r operation s conducte d unde r Domesti c operatin g authority . Specifically , §121.61 9 doe s no t requir e a n air carrier conductin g operation s unde

r Domesti c operatin g authorit y t o lis t a n alternat e airpor t fo r adestinatio n airpor t whe n th e appropriat

e weathe r reports , forecasts , o

r an y combinatio n thereof

, indicated : 1 . Th e ceilin g wil l b e a

t leas t 2,00 0 fee t abov e th e airpor

t elevation ; and 2 . Visibilit y wil l b e a t leas t 3 mile s fo

r a t leas t 1 hou r befor e an d 1 hou

r afte r th e estimate d time o f

arriva l a t th e destinatio n airport . I n addition , §121.63 9 require s tha t a n ai r carrie r conductin g operation s unde r Domesti c operatin g authorit

y hav e enough fue

l - 1 . T o fly t o th e airpor

t t o which i

t i s dispatched ; 2 . Thereafter , to fly t

o an d land a

t the mos t distant alternat e airpor t (wher e required ) fo

r th e airpor t t o which dispatched ; and 3 . Thereafter , to fly fo

r 4 5 minute s a

t norma l cruisin g fiiel consumptio n Publi c Benefit s The existin g requirement s fo r supplementa

l operator s requir

e tha t a n alternate airpor

t b e designate d fo

r eac h flight, regardles s of

th e forecas t

and existin g weathe

r conditions . Whe n th e weathe

r condition s ar

e a t leas t 2,00 0 foo t ceilin g and 3 mile s visibility , thi s result s i n alarge

r tha n necessar y fiiel loa d fo r asupplementa

l operation . Thes e large

r tha n

4/2/201 0necessar

y fiiel load s equat

e t o mone y los t b y Allegian

t Ai r in atime whe

n th e airlin e industr y doe s no t nee d t o los e an

y additiona

l revenue . Obviously , burnin g fiiel to carr y fiiel needlessl y contribute s to th e depletio n of vita l natura l resources . Th e increase d fiiel loa

d requiremen

t ma y als o necessitat

e astop enroute fo

r ftiel, a s th e flight ma y no t b e capabl e o f

operatin g th e rout

e wit h th e increase d fiiel reserv e and increase d fue

l consumption . Enrout

e stop s als o adversely affect th e fue l require d to reac h adestination . A

n enrout e stop increase s th e exposur e to unnecessar

y dela y and inconvenience , a s well a s a n additiona

l takeof f an d landing . Enrout

e stop s als o hav e a

n advers e effec

t o f crewmembe

r flight and dut y time an d subsequen

t schedules , wit

h a resul t tha t mor e o f th e publi c i s adversely affected b y asingl e event . I n additio n t o th e fue l conservation , th e reduce d fue l bu msubstantially reduce s in direc t proportio n th e amoun t of pollutant gase s emitte d into th e troposphere , and th e amoun t of carbo n dioxide and wate r vapor emitte d into th e atmosphere , thereb y reducin g th e impac t o n globa l warming a s well . Safet y Impac t A n equivalen

t level of safet y i s provide d b y grantin g thi s petitio n an d providin g a

n altemativ e mean s o f

regulator y compliance . Given th e current operationa

l practice s and capabilit y o f Allegiant Air substitutio n of

th e requirement s o f

§121.61 9 and §121.63 9 a s they pertai n t o domesti c operatio n fo r th e current

supplementa

l mie s woul d maintai n th e sam e level of safet y a s require d fo

r a n ai r carrie r exercisin g it s authorit

y unde r §119.21(a)(1) .

4/2/201 0Reques t

fo r Waive r Allegian t Air hereb y request s waive

r fo r publicatio n o f

thi s petitio n in th e Federa

l Register . Th e Followin g point support s thi s request : Precedent s alread

y exis t fo r waive r frompublication . Simila

r request s hav e bee

n grante d to othe r Par t 12 1 Supplementa

l operators , thre e o f

thes e bein g Southwes t

Airline s Exemptio n 823 8 th m82 3 8C , Federa l Expres s Exemptio n 760 8 and 7608(a) , and Midwes t Airline s Exemptio n 8444 th m8444B . Petitio n Summar y Petitioner : Allegiant

Air Regulatio n Affected : 14CF R121.623(a

) an d 14CF R121.623(d) , 14CF

R121.643,14CFR 121.645(d ) Descriptio n o f

Relie f Sought : Allegian t Air petition s fo

r a n exemptio n tha

t woul d allo w supplementa

l operation s withi n th e 4 8 contiguou s state s an d th e Distric t o f Columbi ausin g th e flight

regulation s fo

r alternat e airport s a s require d b y 14CF R121.61 9 and th e fue

l reserv e regulation s require d by 14CF R121.63 9 tha

t ar e applicabl e t o domesti c operations . Specifically , Allegiant

Ai r woul d b e permitte d to conduc t operation s without

listin g a n alternat e airpor t when th e weathe

r reports , forecasts , or

an y combinatio n thereof

, indicat e tha t th e ceilin g wil l b e a

t leas t 2,00 0 fee t and visibilit

y wil l b e a t leas t 3 mile s fo r aperio d 1 hour prio r t o and on e hour

afte r th e estimate d time o f

arrival . Pleas e advis e i f

you requir

e an y additiona

l information .

Jame s Car r V P Fligh t Operation s Allegian t Ai r james.carr@allegiantair.co m

4/2/201 0