BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

__________________________________________

)

Application of )

)

SKY LEASE I, INC. ) DOCKET OST-2015-

)

for scheduled, all-cargo exemption authority )

(U.S.-Hong Kong) )

__________________________________________)

EXPEDITED ACTION REQUESTED

APPLICATION OF SKY LEASE I, INC.

FOR AN EXEMPTION

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to:

John R. Mietus, Jr.

Law Office of John Mietus, LLC

6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 300

Bethesda, MD 20817-7500

(202) 747-5212

john@mietuslaw.com

Counsel for SKY LEASE I, INC.

NOTICE: Any person may support or oppose this application by filing an 

answer and serving a copy of the answer on counsel for Sky 

Lease and upon persons served with this application no later 

than June 17, 2015. However, Sky Lease requests expedited 

treatment and Department action as soon as possible; it will poll 

the U.S. carriers shown on the attached service list and inform 

the Department of the polling results.

June 2, 2015
BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

__________________________________________

)

Application of )

)

SKY LEASE I, INC. ) DOCKET OST-2015-

) June 2, 2015

for scheduled, all-cargo exemption authority )

(U.S.-Hong Kong) )

__________________________________________)

EXPEDITED ACTION REQUESTED

APPLICATION OF SKY LEASE I, INC.

FOR AN EXEMPTION

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and Subpart C of the Department’s 

Rules of Practice, Sky Lease I, Inc. (“Sky Lease”) respectfully requests an 

exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. § 41101 and the Department’s 

rules to the extent necessary to permit Sky Lease to provide scheduled 

foreign air transportation of property and mail between a point or points in 

the United States, on the one hand, and Hong Kong, on the other, via 

intermediate points and beyond to points in third countries. Sky Lease also 

requests that the Department authorize Sky Lease to integrate this authority 

with its existing exemption and certificate authority, grant the exemption for 

an initial period of two years, and promptly designate Sky Lease under the 

Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the United States and 

the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the 

People’s Republic of China, as amended. Sky Lease requests that the 
- 2 - Sky Lease

Application

Department act on an expedited basis, and it will poll U.S. carriers served 

with this application and report the results as soon as possible. In support of 

this application, Sky Lease states as follows: 

1. Sky Lease is an air carrier of property and mail headquartered in 

Greensboro, North Carolina. It is a U.S. citizen within the meaning of 49 

U.S.C. § 40102(a)(5) and holds certificates of public convenience and necessity

for domestic all-cargo transportation (and worldwide charter service) and for 

blanket, all-cargo authority between the U.S. and Open Skies countries; it 

also holds scheduled exemption authority to serve China. Pursuant to this 

authority, Sky Lease provides extensive scheduled and charter service in a 

number of international markets with B747 and MD-11 freighter aircraft. 

Information officially noticeable under Rule 24(g) of the Department’s 

Procedural Regulations supports Sky Lease’s continued fitness.

2. Sky Lease proposes to commence U.S.-Hong Kong scheduled service, 

using freighter aircraft already in its fleet, on a twice-weekly basis, operating 

from Miami via Tokyo to Hong Kong and returning via Anchorage to a point 

or points in the U.S. Sky Lease does not intend to carry local Tokyo-Hong 

Kong traffic and recognizes that any Hong Kong operations serving 

intermediate or beyond points would be without local traffic rights unless it 

secures the appropriate fifth-freedom frequencies. As the proposed 

operations will not result in a net annual increase in fuel consumption of 10 

million gallons or more, grant of the application will not constitute a major 
- 3 - Sky Lease 

Application 

regulatory action under Part 313 of the Department's regulations and the 

Ener gy P olicy and Con servation Act of 1975. 

3. Grant of the requested authority is in the p ublic interest. The U.S.-

Hong Kong agreement, as amended, provides for unlimited all-cargo 

designations in the U.S.-Hong Kong market. Expanding the number of U.S. 

all-car go carriers serving this important market will maximize the use of 

valuable bilater al opportunities and offer new, competitive ser vices for 

shippers. 

WHEREFORE, Sky Lease I, Inc. requests that th e Department : gra nt 

it the requested exemption aut horizing scheduled foreign air tr ansportation 

of property and mail between a point or points in the United States, on the 

one ha nd, a nd Hong Kong, on the other, via intermediate points and beyond 

to points in third countries (with integr ation aut hority); issue the appropriate 

designation; a nd gr a nt such other relief as may be necessary or proper. 

June 2, 2015 

Respectfully submitted, 

~ffi4_ 

hn R. Mietus, R ... Law Office of J ohn Mietus, LLC 

6701 Democracy Blvd. , Suit e 300 

Bethesda, MD 20817-7500 

(202) 747-5212 

john@mietuslaw .com 

Counsel for SKY LEASE I, INC. 
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I her eby certify that I have, this 2nd day of June, 2015 caused a copy of 

the foregoing Application for an Exemption to be served by electronic mail on 

the following persons: 

howard.kass, robert.wirick@aa.com 

rpommer@atlasair.com 

sascha.vanderbellen, chris.walker@delta.com 

nssparks, gbleopard@fedex.com 

matwood@cozen.com for Kalitta 

kevin.montgomery@polaraircargo.com 

agoerlich@ggh-airlaw.com + pchase@southernair.com 

gmurphy, sseiden@crowell.com for United 

dan.weiss, steve.morrissey@united.com 

anita.mosner, jennifer.nowak@hklaw.com for UPS 

john.s.duncan@faa.gov 

englets@state.gov 

~n R. M1etus, Jr.