BEFORE THE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Joint Application of 

BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC 

 and 

IBERIA LINÉAS AÉREAS DE ESPAÑA, S.A. 

under 14 CFR Part 212 for statements of 

authorization (reciprocal blanket codesharing) 

Docket DOT-OST-2010- 

JOINT APPLICATION OF BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC AND IBERIA LINÉAS 

AÉREAS DE ESPAÑA, S.A. FOR AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT RECIPROCAL 

BLANKET CODESHARING 

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to: 

For British Airways Plc: 

PAUL C. JASINSKI 

General Counsel, Americas 

JAMES B. BLANEY 

Senior Counsel, Americas 

British Airways Plc 

75-20 Astoria Boulevard 

Jackson Heights, NY 11370 

paul.jasinski@ba.com

jim.blaney@ba.com 

DON H. HAINBACH 

Garofalo Goerlich Hainbach PC 

1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW 

Washington, DC 20036 

Phone: 202-776-3970 

dhainbach@ggh-airlaw.com 

For Iberia Linéas Aéreas de España, S.A.:

WILLIAM KARAS 

CAROL GOSAIN 

Steptoe & Johnson LLP 

1330 Connecticut Avenue NW 

Washington, DC 20036 

(202) 429-6223 

wkaras@steptoe.com 

cgosain@steptoe.com 

October 7, 2010 

Notice: Any person who wishes to support or oppose this application may file an answer 

on or before October 19, 2010 and serve that answer on above-named counsel and all 

persons served with the application.
BEFORE THE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Joint Application of 

BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC 

 and 

IBERIA LINÉAS AÉREAS DE ESPAÑA, S.A. 

under 14 CFR Part 212 for statements of 

authorization (reciprocal blanket codesharing) 

Docket DOT-OST-2010- 

JOINT APPLICATION OF BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC AND IBERIA LINÉAS AÉREAS 

DE ESPAÑA, S.A. FOR AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT RECIPROCAL BLANKET 

CODESHARING 

 British Airways Plc (British Airways) and Iberia Linéas Aéreas de España, S.A. (Iberia) 

hereby apply for statements of authorization pursuant to 14 CFR Part 212 to the extent necessary 

to enable them to engage in reciprocal blanket codesharing to the full extent authorized by the 

US-EU open skies agreement in conjunction with foreign air transportation of persons, property 

and mail.1 British Airways and Iberia intend to implement their codeshare service as soon as 

possible following receipt of required government approvals. Applicants consequently request 

prompt approval of this application to enable them to begin marketing and sales activities 

without delay. British Airways and Iberia further request that the statements of authorization be 

issued for an indefinite period. 

 

1

 British Airways and Iberia have announced that they are merging with each other and intend to complete 

their merger by the end of this calendar year. However, the two carriers will continue to operate separately. 
2

 In support of this application, British Airways and Iberia submit the following: 

1. British Airways, a United Kingdom carrier, currently operates service to the United 

States pursuant to its foreign air carrier permit issued by the Department by Order 2007-10-1, in 

Docket DOT-OST-2007-28149. That foreign air carrier permit authorizes British Airways to 

operate, inter alia: 

Foreign scheduled and charter air transportation of persons, property and mail 

from any point or points behind any Member State of the European Union, via 

any point or points in any Member State and via intermediate points, to any point 

or points in the United States and beyond; 

Foreign scheduled and charter air transportation of persons, property and mail 

between any point or points in the United States and any point or points in any 

member of the European Common Aviation Area; 

2. Iberia, a carrier of Spain, currently operates service to the United States pursuant to its 

foreign air carrier permit issued by the Department by Order 2008-6-23, in Docket DOT-OST2008-0043. That foreign air carrier permit authorizes Iberia to operate, inter alia: 

Foreign scheduled and charter air transportation of persons, property, and mail 

from any point or points behind any Member State of the European Union, via 

any point or points in any Member State and via intermediate points to any point 

or points in the United States and beyond; 

Foreign scheduled and charter air transportation of persons, property, and mail 

between any point or points in any member of the European Common Aviation 

Area and any point or points in the United States; 

3. British Airways and Iberia have entered into a codeshare agreement and are now seeking 

reciprocal blanket codeshare authorizations, pursuant to Part 212 of the Department’s 

regulations, to allow British Airways to display the Iberia “IB” designator code on flights 

operated by British Airways, and to allow Iberia to display the British Airways “BA” designator 

code on flights operated by Iberia: (1) from any point or points behind any Member State of the 

European Union, via any point or points in any Member State and via intermediate points to any 
3

point or points in the United States and beyond; and (2) between any point or points in the 

United States and any point or points in any member of the European Common Aviation Area. 

4. The blanket codeshare authorizations requested herein are consistent with the US-EU 

open skies agreement, and with the public interest. The requested authorities are also consistent 

with the Department’s policy of granting blanket rights to other European codeshare 

partnerships. See, e.g., Department Action, DOT-OST-2002-13958, January 9, 2009 (Air 

France/Alitalia); Department Action, DOT-OST-2010-0175, July 30, 2010 (Austrian/Lufthansa); 

Notice of Action Taken, DOT-OST-2010-0199, August 24, 2010 (Aer Lingus/Spanair). 

5. Blanket authorizations are in the public interest because they enable codeshare partners to 

develop the full range of services permitted under applicable air services agreements. The 

services contemplated by British Airways and Iberia will provide a more efficient use of capacity 

in the marketplace, and will help maximize the service options available to the traveling and 

shipping public. 

6. Consistent with standard practice, British Airways and Iberia will notify the Department 

no later than 30 days before commencing any codeshare services to non-open skies points. They 

will inform the Department of the codeshare market(s) to be served, the identity of the carrier 

operating the aircraft in the market(s) being added, and the date on which the service will begin.2 

British Airways and Iberia will conduct all of their codeshare operations in compliance with 14 

CFR Part 257 and will accept the Department’s standard codeshare conditions. 

 

2

 By submitting this application, British Airways and Iberia hereby provide notice of their intent to engage in 

codeshare services to open skies points as described above. 
4

 ACCORDINGLY, British Airways and Iberia submit that grant of the authority requested 

here would be consistent with the public interest and respectfully request that the Department 

grant them statements of authorization to enable them to engage in reciprocal blanket open skies 

codesharing to the full extent authorized by the US-EU open skies agreement in conjunction with 

foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail, and such other additional relief as the 

Department may deem appropriate. British Airways and Iberia further request that the requested 

authority be granted for an indefinite period, consistent with the Department’s practice. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Don H. Hainbach 

Garofalo Goerlich Hainbach PC 

Counsel for British Airways Plc 

 William Karas 

Carol Gosain 

Steptoe & Johnson LLP 

Counsel for Iberia Linéas Aéreas de 

España, S.A. 
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 I hereby certify that I have this day served the foregoing document by email on the 

following persons: 

 _______________________________ 

 Vanessa C. Krasniewicz 

October 7, 2010 

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

jhill@dlalaw.com 

scott.mcclain@delta.com

bill@mietuslaw.com 

sametta.c.barnett@delta.com

mgoldman@sgbdc.com 

kquinn@pillsburywinthrop.com

rsilverberg@sgbdc.com 

bkeiner@crowell.com

carl.nelson@aa.com 

mrosia@crowell.com

mcmillin@woa.com 

bruce.rabinovitz@wilmerhale.com

mchopra@jamhoff.com 

jeffrey.manley@united.com

russell.bailey@alpa.org 

bob.kneisley@wnco.com

dkirstein@yklaw.com 

robert.land@jetblue.com

jyoung@yklaw.com

msinick@ssd.com

cdonley@ssd.com

anbird@fedex.com

dvaughan@kelleydrye.com

kevin.montgomery@polaraircargo.com

recohn@hhlaw.com 

jrichardson@johnlrichardson.com

cjsimpson@zsrlaw.com 

lhalloway@crowell.com

pmurphy@lopmurphy.com 

efaberman@wileyrein.com

lachter@starpower.net 

mroller@rollerbauer.com

anita.mosner@hklaw.com 

howard.kass@usairways.com

rpommer@atlasair.com 

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com

gmurphy@crowell.com 

sophy.chen@hklaw.com

jim.ballough@faa.gov 

byerlyjr@state.gov