Charles A. Simmons

8501 Telephone Road Houston, TX 77061 April 24, 2014 Federal Aviation Administration 135 Air Carrier Operations Branch (AFS

-250) Room # 831 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20591

Dear Sirs: **RE: Special**  **Federal Aviation**  **Regulation No.**  **107 —** **Prohibition Against**  **Certain Flights**  **Within the**  **Territory and Airspace of Somalia** With this letter, American Jet International, Corporation (A8JA) formally submits petition for an exemption to **Special Federal**  **Aviation Regulation**  **No. 107**  **(SFAR 107)**  which excludes authorization for US operators and airmen to operate within the country of Somalia. In accordance with CFR 14, Part §11.81 I am providing the following information: (a) Your name and mailing address and, if you wish, other contact information such as a fax number, telephone number, or e

-mail address; Response: **American Jet International Attention: Charles Simmons**  **8501 Telephone Road Houston, Texas 77061**  **713 -** **641 -** **9700** csimmons@iflyaji.com (b) The specific section or sections of 14 CFR from which you seek an exemption; Response: **Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 107 (SFAR 107) (c)**  The extent of relief you seek, and the reason you seek the relief;

Response: **American Jet**  **International is**  **a US**  **air carrier**  **(A8JA269Y) authorized**  **by the**  **FAA to**  **conduct on** **- demand**  **operations utilizing**  **FAA certificated**  **airmen. Thus,**  **SFAR 107**  **directly applies**  **to our**  **operations. American**  **Jet is**  **seeki ng**  **relief from**  **SFAR 107**  **paragraph 2**  **under the**  **exemption laid**  **out in**  **SFAR 107**  **paragraph 3 .**  **SFAR 107 paragraph (3.) states: Permitted operations**  **This SFAR**  **does not prohibit persons described in section 1 from conducting flight operations within the territory**  **and airspace**  **below FL**  **200 of**  **Somalia when**  **such operations**  **are authorized**  **either by**  **another agency of the United States Government with the approval of the FAA or by an exemption issued by the**  **Administrator. The**  **purpose of petitioning** **for an exem** **ption is**  **due to** **the desire to provide, under contract, air services**  **in support of the United Nations peace keeping efforts in Somalia.** (d) The reasons why granting your request would be in the public interest; that is, how it would benefit the public as a whole; Response: **The United**  **Nations (UN)**  **is an**  **intergovernmental organization**  **established in**  **1945 to**  **promote international**  **co -** **operation. Its**  **objectives include**  **maintaining international**  **peace and**  **security, promoting**  **human rights,**  **fostering social**  **and economi** **c development,**  **protecting the**  **environment, and**  **providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict. American**  **Jet seeks**  **to provide**  **air ambulance**  **services to**  **the United**  **Nations in**  **support of**  **their humanitarian aid efforts.**  (e) The reasons why granting the exemption would not adversely affect safety, or how the exemption would provide a level of safety at least equal to that provided by the rule from which you seek the exemption;Response:

**American Jet**  **has earned**  **the ISBA** **O Level**  **1 safety**  **rating as**  **well as**  **the ARGUS**  **Platinum safety**  **rating. The**  **platinum rating**  **is a**  **distinction awarded**  **to only**  **a handful**  **of air**  **charter operators**  **in the**  **U.S. that**  **adhere to**  **the highest**  **safety standards**  **as well**  **as having**  **developed a**  **system of**  **pro grams,**  **policies and**  **procedures that is well thought out and conducive to an organized way of doing business. We**  **provide experienced,**  **well trained**  **pilots that**  **work under**  **a well** **- defined**  **system of**  **procedure and**  **protocol. Our pilots**  **are FAA**  **certificated Airlin** **e Transport**  **Pilots with**  **Class 1**  **medicals. They**  **are trained**  **twice a year at Flight Safety or CAE Simuflite. AJI has been in the Air Ambulance business since 1991 so we are experienced and knowledgeable when**  **performing air**  **ambulance operations.**  **We have**  **a dispatch**  **center that**  **is located**  **at Houston**  **Hobby airport. It is in operation 24 hours a day 365 days a year.**  (f) A summary we can publish in the Federal Register, stating: (1) The rule from which you seek the exemption; and (2) A brief description of the nature of the exemption you seek; Response: **American Jet International Corporation seeks exemption from SFAR 107 paragraph 2 in order to provide air**  **ambulance services**  **to the**  **United Nations**  **in the**  **country of**  **Somalia. We**  **are asking**  **to be**  **able to**  **base an ai rcraft at the airport in Mogadishu**  **(HCMM) in order to provide those services.**  **Founded in**  **1991, American**  **Jet is**  **an air**  **charter operator**  **in Houston,**  **Texas that**  **provides air**  **medical services**  **world -** **wide. We**  **have provided**  **air ambulance**  **services to**  **South and**  **Ce ntral**  **America, Mexico,**  **Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia. Our B050 Op Spec authorizes most countries with few restrictions. American** **Jet wishes** **to offer our services to the United Nations by entering into a contract with the UN**  **to provide**  **life -** **saving servi** **ces in**  **Somalia. We**  **will operate**  **out of**  **Aden Adde**  **International Airport**  **(HCMM) and**  **plan to**  **base two**  **aircraft, 4** **- 6**  **pilots and**  **2 maintenance**  **technicians at**  **the airport**  **to support movement of UN personnel and air ambulance operations.**  **We understand**  **that an**  **ap proval**  **of the**  **request for**  **exemption does**  **not relieve**  **American Jet**  **of our**  **responsibility to comply with all applicable FAA as well as ICAO rules and regulations. If**  **approved, we** **will continue to comply with the conditions of our air carrier certificate and**  **Operations Specifications.**  **Additionally, American**  **Jet International**  **recognizes and**  **embraces the**  **responsibility to**  **comply with**  **all rules**  **and regulations**  **of other**  **U.S. Government**  **departments or**  **agencies that**  **may apply**  **to the**  **operation, including,**  **but not**  **li mited**  **to, the**  **Transportation Security**  **Regulations issued**  **by the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security.** (g) Any additional information, views or arguments available to support your request; and Response:

**None** (h) If you want to exercise the privileges of your exemption outside the United States, the reason why you need to do so. Response: **The privileges of this exemption only apply to operations outside of the U.S.**

Sincerely,

Charles A. Simmons Director of Operations