BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

Application of :

:

UNITED AIRLINES, INC. : Docket DOT-OST-2015-___

:

for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and :

designation (Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico) :

:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLICATION OF

UNITED AIRLINES, INC. FOR

AN EXEMPTION AND DESIGNATION

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to:

Steve Morrissey

Vice President-Regulatory & Policy

UNITED AIRLINES, INC.

1225 New York Avenue, NW

Suite 1100 – DCAIZ

Washington, DC 20005

(202) 521-4373

steve.morrissey@united.com

Daniel A. Weiss

Managing Director-International

 Affairs and Regulatory

UNITED AIRLINES, INC.

233 South Wacker Drive

10th Floor – HDQIZ

Chicago, IL 60606

(872) 825-6828

dan.weiss@united.com

May 29, 2015

Thomas Newton Bolling

Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

Abby L. Bried

Associate General Counsel-Regulatory, 

 Antitrust & Alliances

James Conneely

Counsel-Regulatory

UNITED AIRLINES, INC.

233 South Wacker Drive

11th Floor – HDQLD

Chicago, IL 60606

(872) 825-8068

(872) 825-7415

(872) 825-8311

thomas.bolling@united.com

abby.bried@united.com

james.conneely@united.com

Gerald F. Murphy

Steven J. Seiden

CROWELL & MORING LLP

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

(202) 624-2500

gmurphy@crowell.com

sseiden@crowell.com

Counsel for

United Airlines, Inc. 

NOTICE: United has requested expedited treatment of this application. Accordingly, it will poll 

U.S. carrier representatives and inform the Department of the results. 
BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

:

Application of :

:

UNITED AIRLINES, INC. : Docket DOT-OST-2015-___

:

for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and :

designation (Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico) :

:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLICATION OF

UNITED AIRLINES, INC. FOR

AN EXEMPTION AND DESIGNATION

United1applies, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and Subpart C of the Department’s Rules 

of Practice, for an exemption from 49 U.S.C. § 41101 authorizing United to provide scheduled 

foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between Chicago and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, 

Mexico beginning on or about December 19, 2015, and the U.S.-Mexico operating designation

necessary to offer such service. United requests this authority to provide seasonal ChicagoIxtapa/Zihuatanejo service using Airbus A319/320 and/or Boeing B737 aircraft from its existing

fleet. United asks that its exemption authority become effective as soon as possible and that it be 

effective for a period of at least two years, subject to the Department’s standard conditions. 

United also asks the Department to issue the necessary notice to Mexican authorities confirming 

United’s authority to serve the Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo route.

United states as follows in support of this application:

1. Awarding Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo exemption authority to United will allow 

United to provide Saturday service on a seasonal basis to meet demand in this market. United 

urges the Department to act promptly on this application so that it can secure foreign authority, 

 

1 Common names are used for airlines. 
Application of United

Page 2

make final operating plans, and begin marketing the Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo flights well in 

advance of operations, which it plans to commence on or about December 19, 2015, provided all 

necessary approvals have been secured.2 

2. United’s nonstop service between Chicago and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo will provide 

substantial benefits to the U.S. traveling and shipping public and is clearly in the public interest. 

Notably, United’s Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo service using Airbus A319/320 and/or Boeing 

B737 aircraft will be the only scheduled, combination service on this route. Further, it will 

expand United’s hub at Chicago O’Hare, maximize connecting service options for consumers, 

facilitate the development of additional trade and tourism between the United States and Mexico, 

and provide similar benefits throughout United’s Chicago O’Hare hub network.

3. The authority sought by United fully complies with the terms of the U.S.-Mexico 

Air Transport Services Agreement (“U.S.-Mexico Agreement”), as amended. Route 1(a) of the 

U.S.-Mexico Agreement authorizes carriers designated by the United States to operate from “a 

point or points in the United States to a point or points in Mexico.” U.S.-Mexico Agreement, 

Annex I, A(1)(a). Further, the U.S.-Mexico Agreement permits the United States to designate up 

to three airlines to provide scheduled combination services between any point or points in the 

United States and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. See U.S.-Mexico Agreement, Annex I, B(5). Sufficient 

designations are available for United to operate on the Chicago-Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo route.

3

 

4. United holds various certificates of public convenience and necessity and 

exemptions authorizing United to engage in scheduled air transportation of persons, property and 

mail between the U.S. and foreign countries, and United is fit, willing and able to provide the 

 

2

 United will poll airline representatives and advise the Department of the results. 

3 Based on currently published scheduled services, there are three U.S. carrier 

operating designations available on this route. 
Application of United

Page 3

service for which it seeks authority. See, e.g., Orders 2013-4-11 (reissuing United/Continental 

authorities to United) and 2010-5-17 (U.S.-Mexico), and Notices of Action Taken dated January 

20, 2015 in Docket DOT-OST-2014-0224 (New Orleans-Cancun, Mexico), July 29, 2014 in 

Dockets DOT-OST-2014-0100 and DOT-OST-2014-0101 (Houston-Puerto Vallarta/San Jose del 

Cabo, Mexico) and June 5, 2014 in Docket DOT-OST-2014-0088 (Washington, D.C.-San Jose 

del Cabo, Mexico). Pursuant to Rule 24 of the Department’s Rules of Practice, United requests 

that the Department take official notice of all information and data that have been filed to 

establish its fitness. 

WHEREFORE, United urges the Department to grant immediately the requested 

exemption authority and corresponding designation, and such other relief that the Department 

may deem necessary or appropriate. 

Respectfully submitted,

CROWELL & MORING LLP

____________________________

Gerald F. Murphy

Steven J. Seiden

gmurphy@crowell.com

sseiden@crowell.com

Counsel for

United Airlines, Inc.

May 29, 2015
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I certify that I have this date served the foregoing document on the following persons in 

accordance with the Department’s Rules of Practice.

bob.kneisley@wnco.com dkirstein@yklaw.com

leslie.abbott@wnco.com jyoung@yklaw.com

dheffernan@cozen.com thomas.ting@suncountry.com

jeremy.ross@alaskaair.com john.fredericksen@suncountry.com

howard.kass@aa.com barbara.russell@virginamerica.com

robert.wirick@aa.com john.varley@virginamerica.com

patrick.rizzi@hoganlovells.com anita.mosner@hklaw.com

robert.cohn@hoganlovells.com jennifer.nowak@hklaw.com

esahr@eckertseamans.com nssparks@fedex.com

dderco@eckertseamans.com gbleopard@fedex.com

robert.land@jetblue.com matwood@cozen.com

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com dwight.moore@ustranscom.mil

chris.walker@delta.com john.s.duncan@faa.gov

englets@state.gov

__________________________________

Steven J. Seiden

May 29, 2015