BEFORE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.



### Application of ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE

AMERICANO 

### S.A. (AVIANCA) 

### for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

### §40109 (U.S.- Colombia Open Skies) DocketNo. OST-2012- 

## 0/37

APPLICATION OF AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE AMERICANO S.A. (AVIANCA) FORAN EXEMPTION



### Communications with respect to this document should be sentto: Richard D. Mathias David M. Endersbee Jonathon H. Foglia Zuckert, Scoutt & 

### Rasenberger L.L.P. 888 Seventeenth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 Tel: (202) 973-7917 Fax: (202) 342-0683 rdmathias@zsrlaw.com dmendersbee@zsrlaw.com jhfoglia@zsrlaw.com Counsel for Aerovias del Continente

Americano S.A. (Avianca) August 13, 2012

NOTICE: Answers to this application are due by August 28, 2012, and must be served on the Applicant and all persons set forth on the attached certificate of service.

### BEFORE THE U.S. 

### DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of 

### AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE

AMERICANO S.A. (A

### VIANCA) for an exemption pursuant to 49U.S.C. 

### §40109 (U.S.- Colombia Open Skies)



### APPLICATION OF ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) DocketNo. OST-2012-



### AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE AMERICANO S.A. (A

### VIANCA) FORAN EXEMPTION

Aerovias del Continente Americana S.A. (Avianca), pursuantto 49 U.S.C. §40109 and SubpartC ofthe Department's Rules ofPractice, hereby applies for an exemption from 49 U.S.C. §41301 to the extent necessary to authorize Aviancato engage in foreign scheduled air transportation ofpersons, property and mail from points behind Colombia via Colombia and intermediate points to points in the United States and beyond, as more fully described herein.
In support ofthis application, Avianca states as follows: 

### 1. In 2011, the U.S. and Colombia signed an historic open skies Air Transport Agreement (the "Agreement"),1which is being provisionally applied as ofAugust 26, 2011.
2. Aviancapresently holds a foreign air carrierpermit authorizing it to engage, inter alia, in foreign air transportation ofpersons, property, and mail between a point orpoints in Colombia, certain intermediatepoints, and (1) the co-terminal points Miami and New York, and

1 Air Transport Agreement between the Government ofthe United States ofAmerica and the Government ofthe

Republic ofColombia (signed May I0, 20II).Application ofAerovias del Continente Americana S.A. (Avianca) for an Exemption Page 2
(2) Los Angeles. Order 86-9-36. Avianca also holds exemption authorities under which it has been proving services to travelers and shippers in the U.S. and throughout Latin America, including recently expanded exemption authority pursuantto the transitional provisions ofthe Agreement.2
3. Aviancarequests this exemption authority to allow it to engage in the full scope ofadditional codeshare marketing services nowavailable to Colombian carriers under the Agreement's transitional provisions. Specifically, Section 1(d) ofthe Agreement's Annex provides the following rights for airlines designated by Colombia: Effective January 1, 2012, for the purposes ofserving as the non-operating carrier on a code-share-only basis, from points behind Colombia, via Colombia and intermediate points to points in the United States and beyond. 4. Concurrent with this application, Avianca, TACA International Airlines, S.A.,
Trans AmericanAirlines, S.A. d/b/a TACA Peru, Lineas Aereas Costarricenses S.A., and
Aviateca S.A. (collectively, the "T ACA Group") are filing ajoint application for an exemption permitting themto register a trade name and statements ofauthorization (the "Joint Application"). Aviancarequires the authority requestedherein to implement the common branding arrangement described in the Joint Application. 5. Aviancarequests that the Department issue the requested authority without limitation as to the codeshare partner in orderto give Avianca maximum flexibility under its existing (and planned) codesharing and marketing arrangements with (1) United Air Lines, Inc.

2 See Notice ofAction Taken (March 19, 2012), Docket OST-201 1-021 I, permitting Avianca to engage in foreign scheduled air transportation ofpersons, property and mail from points behind Colombia via Colombia and intermediate points to Boston; Charlotte; Chicago; Cleveland; Ft. Lauderdale; Detroit; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; San Juan; Orlando; and Washington, D.C., and beyond, as well as foreign charter air transportation ofpersons, property, and mail from points behind Colombia via Colombia and intermediate points to points in the United States and beyond.

### Application ofAerovias del Continente Americana S.A. (Avianca) for an Exemption Page 3

and Continental Airlines, Inc} (2) Trans American Airlines, S.A. d/b/a TACA Peru4; 

### and (3) TACA International Airlines, S.A. and Lineas Aereas Costarricenses, S.A.5


### 6. Priorto the expiry, on December 31, 2012, ofthe transitional provisions set forth in the Agreement's Annex, Avianca intends to file an applicationrequesting the full complement oftraffic rights available to it underthe Agreement. 7. Avianca holds all ofthe necessary operating authorizations from its homeland in support ofthis request and remains fit, willing, and able to exercise the rights now available to it underthe Agreement. Colombiais a contracting state to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. 8. This requested authority is a necessary predicate to the common branding for which Avianca and the TACA Group seek approval undertheirJointApplication. Moreover, the public interest will be served by the grant ofthis authority to Avianca, which will permit Avianca to take advantage ofthe rights to which it is presently entitled underthe Agreement, thereby providing expanded service options to the public underboth Avianca's existing and future codesharing agreements as well as the proposed common branding arrangements. The requested authority also will provide Avianca with the maximumpossible flexibility to respond
to market conditions and the needs oftravelers and shippers in with a minimum ofregulatory delay.

3 Notice ofAction Taken (Oct. 28, 2011), Dockets DOT-OST-2004-19148, DOT-OST-2011-0163, and DOT-OST201 1-0164. 4 Department Action on Application (Sept. 22, 2011) DOT-OST-2011-0166. 5Notice ofAction Taken (Nov. 18, 2011), Docket DOT-OST-2011-0168.Application ofAerovias del Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca) for an Exemption Page 4

9. Grant ofthe authority sought by Aviancawill not constitute a majorregulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as defined in Part 313 ofthe Department's Regulations.

WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca) respectfully requests that the Department grantthe requested exemption authority as described more fully herein. Avianca also requests such further, different and additional reliefas the Departmentmay deem to be appropriate.

August 13, 2012 Respectfully submitted,

# ~~**Ri~~hias** David M. Endersbee Jonathon H. Foglia Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger L.L.P. 888 Seventeenth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 Tel: (202) 973-7917 Fax: (202) 342-0683 rdmathias@zsrlaw.com dmendersbee@zsrlaw.com jhfoglia@zsrlaw.com Counsel for Aerovias del Continente

Americano S.A. (Avianca)CERTIFICATE OFSERVICE
I hereby certifythat on this 13th day ofAugust 2012, a copy ofthe foregoing application was served by email on the parties named below:

R. Bruce Keiner, Jr. Lorraine B. Halloway Gerald F. Murphy Counsel for Continental/United Airlines Crowell & Moring LLP I001 PennsylvaniaAvenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004-2595 rbkeiner@crowell.com lhalloway@crowell.com gmurphy@crowell.com

Dan Weiss Managing Director- International & Regulatory Affairs United Air Lines 77 West Wacker Drive-HDQIZ Chicago, IL 6060I dan.weiss@united.com
Stephen J. Morrissey Managing Director, Regulatory and Policy United Air Lines, Inc. 1225 New York Avenue, NW- DCAIZ Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20005 steve.morrissey@united.com

Jonathan T. Linde Managing Director & SeniorCounselRegulatory United Air Lines, Inc. 77 West WackerDrive-HDQLD 16th Floor Chicago, IL 60601 jonathan.linde@united.com

AlexanderVan Der Bellen Sametta C. Barnett Delta AirLines 1212 New York Avenue, NW Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20005 sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com Sametta.c.bamett@delta.com Robert Wirick American Airlines, Inc. 1101 Seventeenth Street, N.W. Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20036 robert.wirick@aa.com
John L. Richardson Joan Canny Counsel for Amerijet International John L. Richardson, P.L.L.C. 555 13th Street, N.W. Suite 420 West Washington, D.C. 20004 jrichardson@johnlrichardson.com jCanny@amerijet.com

Kelli Bryan Ranjit Seth Robert Foster Charter Sales Evergreen International Airlines, Inc. 3850 Three Mile Lane McMinnville, OR 97128 charters@evergreenairlines.com ranjit.seth@evergreenairlines.com chris.schuldt@evergreenhelicopters.com philip.Church@evergreenhelicopters.com Robert.foster@evergreenairlines.com
Malcolm L. Benge Counsel for World Airways Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger LLP 888 17th Street, N,W. Suite 700 Washington, DC 20006 mlbenge@zsrlaw.com
Angeline Garbuzinski Legal and Regulatory Affairs Federal Express Corporation 3620 Hacks Cross Road Building B, 3'd Floor Memphis, TN 38125 anbird@fedex.com cefelts@fedex.comPierre Murphy Counsel for Brendan Airways, L.L.C. d/b/a USA 3000 Airlines 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Suite 590 Washington, D.C. 20036-6802 pmurphy@lopmurphy.com

Thomas E. Fosko Vice President AirTransport International LLC 2800 Cantrell Road Little Rock, AR 72202 tom.fosko@airtransport.cc

Howard Kass ManagingDirector & Associate General Counsel US Airways 1401 H Street, N.W. Suite 1075 Washington, D.C. 20006 howard_ kass@usairways.com

John M. Allen Director Flight Standards Service Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, S.W. Room 821 Washington, D.C. 20591 john.allen@faa.gov

Aaron Goerlich Counsel for Allegiant Air, Ryan International Airlines and Southern Air Garofalo Goerlich Hainbach PC 1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20036-6802 agoerlich@ggh-airlaw.com Robert P. Silverberg Jeffrey Johnson Counsel for ABX Air Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, L.L.P. 1101 30th Street, N.W. Suite 120 Washington, D.C. 20007 rsilverberg@sgbdc.com jjohnson@sgbdc.com

2 Marshall S. Sinick Counsel for Alaska Airlines and Florida West International Airways Squire, Sanders & Dempsey 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20004 msinick@ssd.com Stephen H. Lachter Counsel for Astar Air Cargo Lachter Law 1150 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Ste. 900 Washington, DC 20036 Stephen.lachter@lachterlaw.com Russell E. Pommer Associate General Counsel and DirectorofRegulatory Affairs Atlas Air, Inc. 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 875 Washington, D.C 20006 rpommer@atlasair.com Mark W. Atwood Counsel for Kalitta Air and Xtra Airways Cozen O'Connor Army Navy Building 1627 I Street, NW Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20006 matwood@cozen.com ldunn@xtraairways.com Jonathan B. Hill Counsel for Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue Dow Lohnes 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036-6802 jhill@dowlohnes.com

John S. Fredericksen Vice President and General Counsel MN Airlines, LLC dba Sun Country Airlines 1300 Mendota Heights Road Mendota Heights, MN 55120 john.fredericksen@suncountry.comJoanne W. Young Counsel for Spirit Airlines Kirstein & Young PLLC 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Suite 600 South Washington, DC 20004 jyoung@yklaw.com John R. Mietus, Jr. Counsel for Centurion Air Cargo and Trade Winds Airlines Law Office ofJohn Mietus, LLC 6701 Democracy Boulevard Suite 300 Bethesda, MD 20817 john@mietuslaw.com

3 Kevin Montgomery Peter Beckett PolarAir Cargo, Inc. 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 875 Washington, D.C 20006 kevin.montgomery@ polaraircargo.com peter.beckett@polaraircargo.com Michael F. Goldman Counsel for Capital Cargo International Airlines Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, L.L.P. 1101 30th Street, N.W. Suite 120 Washington, D.C. 20007 mgoldman@sgbdc.com