UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Issued by the Department of Transportation on July 6, 2010

NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN -- DOCKET DOT-OST-2010-0110 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken by the Department official indicated 

(no additional confirming order will be issued in this matter). 

Joint Applicants: SALSA D’HAITI (Salsa) Date Filed: April 28, 2010, as supplemented June 21, 2010 

Relief requested: Exemption under 49 USC § 40109 to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, 

property, and mail between Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Miami, Florida, utilizing aircraft wet leased from, or pursuant to a 

code-share arrangement with, a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier. 1 2

 

Applicant rep: Charles F. Donley II, 202-626-6840 DOT analyst: Thuy H. Cooper, 202-366-5423 

Responsive pleadings: None filed 

DISPOSITION 

Action: Approved (subject to conditions, see below). Action date: July 6, 2010 

Effective dates of exemption authority granted: July 6, 2010, through July 6, 2011 

Basis for approval (bilateral agreement/reciprocity): Comity and reciprocity with Haiti. 

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations indicated: 

X Standard foreign air carrier exemption conditions (attached) 

Special conditions/Remarks: Based on the record in this case, we find that Salsa is financially and operationally 

qualified to perform the services authorized above. However, we are unable to find that Salsa is substantially owned 

and effectively controlled by Haitian nationals. Salsa states that it is owned 51% by Marie-Flore Mondesir, a citizen of 

Haiti, 48% by Arienthiran N. Prakash, a citizen of the United States, and 1% by Eric Felicie, a citizen of France. In 

addition, the applicant states that its President is a citizen of the United States, and that its other key management 

officials include one Haitian citizen (Director of Finance), and citizens of the United States, France, Mexico, and 

Honduras. In spite of the fact that we are unable to find that Salsa is substantially owned and effectively controlled by 

homeland nationals, we find it appropriate to waive our ownership and control requirements in the circumstances 

presented, as there is no evidence on the record which would suggest that the ownership and control of the carrier 

would be inimical to U.S. aviation policy or interests.

Salsa may not conduct U.S. operations with its own aircraft and crews without further action by the Department.3

Action taken by: Paul L. Gretch, Director 

 Office of International Aviation 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Under authority assigned by the Department in its regulations, 14 CFR Part 385, we found that (1) our action was 

consistent with Department policy; (2) the applicant was qualified to perform its proposed operations; (3) grant of the 

authority was consistent with the public interest; and (4) grant of the authority would not constitute a major regulatory 

action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. To the extent not granted, we denied all requests in the 

referenced Dockets. We may amend, modify, or revoke the authority granted in this Notice at any time without 

hearing at our discretion. 

 

1

 Salsa states that it will not operate any of its aircraft to or from the United States. 

2

 Salsa states that it has entered into a wet lease agreement with Insel Air International B.V. (Insel) and that it will wet lease 

aircraft from Insel for Salsa’s Port-au-Prince-Miami scheduled service. 3

 Haiti is currently a Category 2 country under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment Program. 
Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of the action set forth in this Notice under the Department’s 

regulations, 14 CFR §385.30, may file their petitions within seven (7) days after the date of issuance of this Notice. 

This action was effective when taken, and the filing of a petition for review will not alter such effectiveness. 

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at: 

http://www.regulations.gov
ATTACHMENT 

Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier applicant shall: 

(1) Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective authorization from its homeland for such 

operations, and it has filed a copy of such authorization with the Department;

(2) Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security 

Administration, and with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, including, but not limited 

to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, and 36 and 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as applicable. To assure compliance with all 

applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, the holder shall, before commencing any new service 

(including charter flights) from a foreign airport that would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States, 

contact its International Industry Representative (IIR) (formerly referred to as International Principal Security 

Inspector) to advise the IIR of its plans and to find out whether the Transportation Security Administration has 

determined that security is adequate to allow such airport(s) to be served;

(3) Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage contained in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the 

commencement of any operations under this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the form of a completed OST 

Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Program Management Branch (AFS-260), Flight Standards 

Service (any changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be filed with that office); 

(4) Not operate aircraft under this authority unless it complies with operational safety requirements at least equivalent 

to Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention;

(5) Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirements of its Government for international air 

services;

(6) Except as specifically exempted or otherwise provided for in a Department Order, comply with the requirements 

of 14 CFR Part 203, concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defenses;

(7) Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 

1605(a), but only with respect to those actions or proceedings instituted against it in any court or other tribunal in the 

United States that are: (a) based on its operations in international air transportation that, according to the contract of 

carriage, include a point in the United States as a point of origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for 

which the contract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or (b) based on a claim under any international 

agreement or treaty cognizable in any court or other tribunal of the United States. In this condition, the term 

"international air transportation" means "international transportation" as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except 

that all States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the purpose of this definition;

(8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or terminate all flights to/from the United States in 

its homeland;

(9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and 

charter data;

(10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provided in the applicable aviation agreement, comply 

with the Department's rules governing charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380); and

(11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations required by the public interest as may be 

prescribed by the Department, with all applicable orders or regulations of other U.S. agencies and courts, and with all 

applicable laws of the United States. 

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with the conditions 

imposed above. Moreover, this authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit Department approval 

under Title 49 of the U.S. Code. 

1/2008