### BEFORE THE U.S.DEPARTMENTOFTRANSPORTATION·:··:**~~·** --k 

## ,\'I· 

## 2,_ WASHINGTON, D.C. --·. ... ..**~** 

### .-, I • 0 Application of AIRASIA X BERHAD for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

### § 40I09 and a foreign air carrier pennit pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

### § 4130I (Malaysia- U.S.) 

### ) 

### ) ) ) ) ) ) DocketNo. OST-2015- 

# ________________________________)

April3, 2015 

### MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT UNDER RULE 12

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to: Josh Romanow Jennifer Trock PeterNelson PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP 1200 Seventeenth Street NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 

### +1-202-663-8000 Fax: 

### +1-202-663-8007 Email: romanow@pillsburylaw.com jennifer.trock@pillsburylaw.com peter.nelson@pillsburylaw.com 

### Counsel forAirAsiaX Berhad

### BEFORETHE U.S. DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. Application of AIRASIA X BERHAD for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

### §40I09 and a foreign air carrier permit pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

### §4130I (Malaysia- U.S.) ) 

### ) 

### ) ) 

### ) ) ) 

# _____________________________) DocketNo. OST-2015-



### MOTION FORCONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT UNDER RULE 12

Pursuant to Rule 12 ofthe Department's Rules ofPractice, 1 Air Asia X Berhad ("Air Asia X"), an air carrier of Malaysia, hereby respectfully moves to withhold from public disclosure Exhibit I to its Application for an Exemption and Foreign Air Carrier Permit, filed with the Department on April 3, 2015, which contains AirAsia X's first-year traffic and financial forecast (the "Exhibit"). The information contained in the Exhibit is being submitted in the form ofa Confidential Exhibit to AirAsia X's application, which is attached hereto in a sealed envelope and marked in accordance with Rule 12. As more fully stated herein, this information contains certain proprietary, commercially-sensitive, and confidential business infonnation. In support thereof, AirAsia X states as follows: 

### 1. Rule 12 of the Department's Rules of Practice instructs the Department to evaluate requests for confidential treatment by the standards ofdisclosure found in the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 

### § 552 ("FOIA"). Information may be withheld from disclosure

I 14C.F.R.§302.12.under 5 U.S.C. 

### § 552(b)(4) ifit is (I) commercial or financial, (2) obtained from a person outside ofgovernment, and (3) privileged orconfidential. 

### Gulf and Western Indus., Inc. v. UnitedStates, 615 F.2d 527, 529 (D.C. Cir. 1979). As to the third prong of this test, the Department must consider whether "disclosure ofthe information is likely to have either ofthe following effects: (I) impair the government's ability to obtain necessary infonnation; or (2) cause substantial harm to the competitive position of the person from whom the information was obtained." 

### National Parks andConservationAssoc. v.. Morton, 498 F.2d 765, 770 (D.C. Cir. 1974). Finally,

to be privileged or confidential, the information must not be ofthe type that is usually released to the public. 

### Gulf and Western, at 530. AirAsia X's Exhibit meets these standards for protection. 2. AirAsia X's Exhibit includes sensitive business and financial data relevant to the Department's review ofAirAsia X's application for an exemption and foreign air carrier permit. Public disclosure of this information would cause substantial hann to AirAsia X's competitive position and investors by disclosing details of its otherwise confidential business and financial activities. Third parties could obtain this information and use it to undermine AirAsia X's operations, thus causing economic harm to AirAsia X. 

### 3. 

### The confidential infonnation must be obtained from a person outside of government to be granted confidential treatment. AirAsia X is a public limited company based in Malaysia, which meets the definition of"person outside ofgovernment." 4. AirAsia X does not release its future financial projections to the public. As such, the information in the Exhibit is privileged and should be given confidential treatment. 5. In sum, the information that is sought to be withheld from public disclosure meets the standards for nondisclosure found in exemption (4) of FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 

### § 552(b)(4), in that it is 

### (1) commercial or financial, (2) obtained from a person outside the government, and (3)

2privileged or confidential. 

### See Gulf& Western Industries, Inc. v. United States, 615 F.2d 527, 529 (D.C. Cir. 1979); 

### National Parks and Conservation Assoc. v. 

### Morton, 498 F.2d 765, 770 (D.C. Cir. 1974). The Department has previously granted numerous motions for confidential

treatment filed by other foreign carriers seeking to withhold similar financial information submitted in connection with permit or exemption applications from public disclosure. 

### See Azul LinhasAereas Brasileiras SA., Order 2014-9-7, fn. 2; 

### ComluxArubaN. V., Order 20 13-11-5, fn. 2; 

### Mid/ex Airlines, Order 2010-11-20, fn. 2; 

### 1263343 Alberta Inc. d/b/a Ene1jet, Order 2009-3- 22, fn. 2; 

### Comlux Malta Ltd., Order 2008-12-15, fn. 3; 

### ACA1Air Charter Luftfahrtgesel/schaft MBH, Order 2006-7-6, fn. 2. Finally, release of this financial information would impair the government's ability to collect such information in the future. AirAsia X's sensitive financial infonnation should be similarly granted confidential treatment. WHEREFORE, AirAsia X respectfully requests that the designated Exhibit which is attached hereto in a sealed envelope be accorded confidential treatment under 14 CFR 

### § 302.12. Respectfully submitted, 

# '""'

.

# aJosh Romanow JenniferTrack PeterNelson PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHA\V PITTMAN LLP 1200 Seventeenth StreetNW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 

### +1-202-663-8000 Fax: 

### +1-202-663-8007 Email: romanow@pillsburylaw.com jennifer.trock@pillsburylaw.com peter.nelson@pillsburylaw.com 

### Counsel forAirAsiaX Berhad



### 3

### CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a copy ofthe foregoing motion for confidential treatment has been served this the 3rd 

### day ofApril, 2015, upon each ofthe parties below by electronic mail. Sascha Vanderbellen Chris Walker Delta Airlines sascha.vanderbellen@deI ta.com chris.walker@deIta.com Robert Wirick Howard Kass American Airlines, Inc. robert.wirick@aa.com howard.kass@aa.com Steve Morrissey Dan Weiss United Air Lines steve.morrissey@united.com dan.weiss@united.com Jonathan Hill J. Parker Erkmann Counsel for Hawaiian Airlines Cooley LLP jhill@cooley.com perkmann@cooley.com Anita Mosner Jennifer Nowak Counsel for United Parcel Service Co Holland & Knight anita.mosner@hklaw.com jennifer.nowak@hklaw.com



### 4 Russell Pommer Atlas Air rpommer@atlasair.com Bailey Leopard Nancy Sparks Federal Express Corporation gbleopard@fedex.com nssparks@fedex.com U.S. Department ofTransportation paul.gretch@dot.gov robert.finamore@dot.gov brian.hedberg@dot.gov todd.homan@dot.gov benjamin.taylor@dot.gov U.S. Department ofState EngleTS@state.gov DunhamJD@state.gov Embassy ofMalaysiato the U.S. Awang.us@kln.gov.my shaiful@kln.gov.my hairil@miti.gov.my harlena.harris@miti.gov.my



### Is/Peter Nelson Peter Nelson