AFS-15-3035-E 

October 20, 2015 

 Exemption No. 9548E 

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2007-0040 

Mr. Duane Franklund 

Director, Quality Assurance/Quality Control 

Sun Country Airlines 

1300 Mendota Heights Road 

Mendota Heights, MN 55120 

Dear Mr. Franklund: 

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to extend Exemption 

No. 9548, as amended. It explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the 

conditions and limitations. 

The Basis for Our Decision 

By letter dated July 10, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 

behalf of Sun Country Airlines (Sun Country) for an extension of Exemption No. 9548, as 

amended. That exemption from §§ 47.49, 91.203(a) and (b), and 121.153(a)(1) of Title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations allows Sun Country to operate its U.S.-registered aircraft in 

domestic operations temporarily following the incidental loss or mutilation of that aircraft’s 

airworthiness certificate or registration certificate or both. 

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons 

relative to public interest and safety that were the basis for granting the original exemption. 

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested extension of the exemption would not set a 

precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Sun Country. 
 2

Our Decision 

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 9548, as 

amended, remains valid with respect to this exemption and is in the public interest. 

Therefore, under the authority provided by 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113 and 44701, which the 

FAA Administrator has delegated to me, Sun Country Airlines is granted an extension to 

Exemption No. 9548 for §§ 47.49, 91.203(a) and (b), and 121.153(a)(1) that allows Sun 

Country to operate its U.S.-registered aircraft in domestic operations temporarily following 

the incidental loss or mutilation of that aircraft’s airworthiness certificate or registration 

certificate or both, subject to the following conditions and limitations. 

Conditions and Limitations 

1. Before operating under this exemption, Sun Country must apply for and receive from 

the FAA district office responsible for its air carrier certificate an amendment to its 

operations specifications authorizing it to exercise the privileges of this exemption. 

2. Before operating under this exemption, Sun Country must develop a comprehensive 

program that provides for continued operation of the aircraft through the use of an 

appropriate entry in the aircraft logbook when the airworthiness certificate and/or 

registration certificate for such aircraft is lost, stolen, or mutilated; ensure that timely 

application is made to the FAA for the replacement certificate; and provide for the 

temporary operation of the aircraft during the interim required to receive a 

replacement certificate from the FAA and install it on the affected aircraft. This 

program must be FAA-approved and instructions for its use must be included in Sun 

Country’s manual required by § 121.133. 

3. The comprehensive program specified in Condition No. 2 must contain— 

a. A requirement that the following statement be entered into the appropriate 

section of the aircraft logbook whenever this exemption is to be used: 

“This aircraft is being operated without an airworthiness certificate (or 

registration certificate, as applicable) under the provisions of Exemption 

No. ______ for a period of 3 working days, not including weekends or 

Federal holidays, following the start of the next business day beginning: 

TIME: __________ DATE: __________ 20___” 

 The signature, title, and station location of the person(s) authorized by 

 Condition No. 3b must be affixed to this statement; 

b. An identification of the designated persons or person within Sun Country’s 

maintenance organization authorized to enter the statement outlined in 

Condition No. 3a and the method or methods wherein the documents required 

under Condition No. 5 will be transmitted to the affected aircraft; 
 3

c. An arrangement whereby those persons within Sun Country’s organization 

responsible for airworthiness certificates and registration certificates will 

maintain a current record of the data from the certificates for each aircraft 

within its fleet that may be affected by this exemption. These data must be 

made readily available to that element within Sun Country’s maintenance 

organization identified in Condition No. 3b and must be kept current at all 

times; 

d. Procedures to ensure that the FAA principal maintenance inspector with the 

responsibility for Sun Country is notified immediately of a missing or 

mutilated certificate and that timely application is made to the FAA for a 

replacement certificate (in the case of an airworthiness certificate) or duplicate 

certificate (in the case of a registration certificate); and 

e. Procedures that will describe specific duties and responsibilities by job title. 

4. Sun Country may exercise the privileges of this exemption only for temporary 

replacement of a missing or mutilated certificate, which is current, in effect, and 

applies to only the U.S.-registered aircraft listed in Sun Country’s FAA-approved 

operations specifications. 

5. When Sun Country exercises the privileges of this exemption, a copy of this 

exemption and a copy of the operations specifications authorizing its use must be 

carried onboard the aircraft. 

6. Under this exemption, Sun Country must operate the affected aircraft totally within 

the contiguous 48 States of the United States and the District of Columbia. 

The Effect of Our Decision 

Our decision extends the termination date of Exemption No. 9548, as amended, to 

November 30, 2017, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ 

John Barbagallo 

Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service