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BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of

RÉGIONAL, compagnie aérienne européenne

for renewal of exemption from 49 U.S.C. § 41301

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Docket DOT-OST-2002-13610

APPLICATION OF RÉGIONAL, COMPAGNIE AÉRIENNE EUROPÉENNE

FOR RENEWAL OF EXEMPTION

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to:

Laurent Timsit,

Vice President –

European and International Affairs

SOCIÉTÉ AIR FRANCE

45, rue de Paris

F-95747, Roissy CDG Cedex

Paris, France

Robert E. Cohn

Patrick R. Rizzi

HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

Columbia Square

555 Thirteenth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20004

Telephone: +1 202 637 4999 / 5659

Facsimile: +1 202 637 5910

E-mail: robert.cohn@hoganlovells.com

patrick.rizzi@hoganlovells.com

Counsel for

RÉGIONAL, compagnie aérienne européenne

September 6, 2013
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BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of

RÉGIONAL, compagnie aérienne européenne

for renewal of exemption from 49 U.S.C. § 41301

)

)

)

)

)

Docket DOT-OST-2002-13610

September 6, 2013

APPLICATION OF RÉGIONAL, COMPAGNIE AÉRIENNE EUROPÉENNE

FOR RENEWAL OF EXEMPTION

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109, Régional, compagnie aérienne européene d/b/a

HOP!-Regional and HOP! (“Regional”)1hereby applies for renewal of an exemption from

49 U.S.C. § 41301 to permit Regional to continue to display the airline designator code of

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) on the intra-European city-pair segments Regional operates

for Société Air France (“Air France”). Regional requests that such authority be renewed for

a period of at least two years.

In support of this Application, Regional states the following:

1. By Notice of Action Taken dated November 20, 2002, in Dockets DOT-OST2002-13610 and DOT-OST-2000-6939, the Department granted a statement of

authorization and exemption to permit Regional to display the airline designator code of

Delta on flights operated by Regional for Air France. Most recently, on September 15,

2011, the Department renewed Regional’s exemption authority for two years, through

September 15, 2013. The statement of authorization continues in effect indefinitely.

2. As an Air France subsidiary, Regional has continued to operate intraEuropean flights under the Air France brand (and, more recently, under the HOP! brand)

1

By letter dated May 6, 2013, the Department acknowledged Regional’s registration of the

trade names HOP!-Regional and HOP!
Renewal Application of Regional

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and to list the Delta designator code (DL*) on such flights since the exemption authority and

statement of authorization were initially granted.

3. The public interest considerations that supported the original grant of the

exemption authority and subsequent renewal to Regional warrant continued renewal here.

The flights operated by Regional that display Delta’s code afford substantial service

benefits to consumers and the traveling public. Moreover, the services at issue in this

renewal application are authorized under the U.S.–EU Open-Skies Air Transport

Agreement.

4. As noted above, the exemption authority at issue is set to expire on

September 15, 2013. This renewal application is timely filed. Accordingly, Regional

invokes, and intends to rely on, the automatic extension provisions of the Administrative

Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 558(c), as implemented by 14 C.F.R. Part 377, to continue its

exemption authority in effect pending final Department action on this Application.

5. Regional requests that renewal of this exemption authority be for a period of

at least two additional years, consistent with Department practice in similar cases. See,

e.g., KLM Cityhopper B.V., Notice of Action Taken, dated March 5, 2007 (Docket

DOT-OST-2003-14397); Regional, Notice of Action Taken, dated September 15, 2011

(Docket DOT-OST-2002-13610).
Renewal Application of Regional

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WHEREFORE, Regional requests renewal of its exemption authority as requested

herein.

Respectfully submitted,

________________________________

Robert E. Cohn

Patrick R. Rizzi

HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

555 Thirteenth Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004

+1 202 637 4999 / 5659

Counsel for

RÉGIONAL, compagnie aérienne européenne
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing Application of Régional, compagnie

aériennne européenne, for Renewal of Exemption has been served this 6th day of

September, 2013, upon the following addressees:

robert.wirick@aa.com

francis.heil@aa.com

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

chris.walker@delta.com

dan.weiss@united.com

steve.morrissey@united.com

howard_kass@usairways.com

urskr@state.gov

______________________________

Patrick Rizzi