# Q

US . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretary o f Transportatio n 

### Februar y 24 , 201 2 Mr . Shaut i R . Christian President Sta r Mariana s Air , Inc . P.O . Bo x 52046 1 Tinian M P 9695 2 . J V . . •- - fM l TL ^

^ - 1 20 0 Ne w Jerse yAvenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0



### Re : Docke t

DOT-OST-2010-023 5 Applicatio n o

f Sta r Mariana s Air , Inc . fo r Commute r

Authority Dea r Mr . Christian : Than k yo u fo r your lette r of Febmary 2 , 2012 , respondin g to th e Department' s concern s regardin g Sta

r Mariana s Air , Inc . ("Star") , an dit s operations . W e hav e reviewe dyour argument s puipoilin g tha

t Sta r i s owne dan

dcontrolle db

y U.S . citizens , andreiterat e our positio n tha

t base do n th e recordof

thi s case , w e are unabl e t o determin e th e citizenshi p of Star . Whil e Sta

r argue s tha

t i t ha s provide dth e Departmen t wit h more tha

n enoug h informatio n to lea

du s to definitivel y conclud e it s U.S . citizenship , evidenc e tha t protection s ar

e i n plac e t o preven t

non-U.S . citizen s fro

mexertin g influenc e an dcontro l hav e ye t to b e submitte dt o th e Department . W e d o not e tha t i n a n effor t t o addres s thi s concern . Sta

r provide dacop y of

aforma l agreemen t

betwee n i

t an dTinian Dynasty Hote l an dCasin o ("TDHC") , which , accordin g to DO T records , i s ultimatel y owne dand controlle db y aHon g Kon g entity. ' Upo n revie w of

th e agreement , th e Departmen t identifie dseveral area s o f concern and informe dSta

r of thes e issue s i

n alette r date dJanuary 3 , 2012 . Th e Department' s intent i n the lette r

wa s to ensur e adequat e provision s are i n plac e t o protec t

Sta r andit s operations , an

dwa s not

to b e construe da s acriticis magains t th e ai r cairie r o r th e document . Becaus e Sta

r di dno t provid e arevise dagreemen t i n it s Febmary 2 response , however , our

concern s a s stale di

n ou r January 3 lette r

t o Sta r remai n unresolved .

' 5c c Orde r2007-12-1 1 il l I . TDH C i s ; i compan y incorporate d unde rth e law s o f th e Commonwealt h o f (h e Norther n Mariana s Island s iha i i s uliimatel y owne d an d conrrolle d b yTinia n Dynast yHolding s Limiied . a Brilisl i Vii-^i n Islan d enuty . whos e ownershi p i n Uii n i s majorii yhel d b yMr . Michae l Kwan . a Honi ! Konj : citizen .I

n tlii s regard . \v c rcqucs i ilia l Sta r provid e arevise dfortna l agrccmcti l bclwcc n i l an d TDH C lliat

satisfactoril y dctnonstralc s tha i actua l coniio l o f iK e airlin e lie s wit h Stat wiihit i 3 0 day s fro mih e dat e o f thi s letter . Additionally . Sta r

submitte dcustome r

an drevenu e dat aa s evidenc e o f it s freedo man d autotiom y t o provid e ai r charte r service s t o customer s othe r tha n TDHC . Sta r

slate s i n it s lette r o f Februar y 2 . 2012 . o f

9.10 6 tota l flight s flow n i n ih c 4" " Quarte r

o f 20 1 I b y th e ai r canier . 3.93 7 Hights . o r 43 % o f th e Sta r flying , wer e no t

chartere db y TDHC . W c as k tha t Sta r provid e Jiior e informatio n regardin g thes e non-TDH C charters . Mor e specifically , ho w man y o f th e non-TDH C charte r Hight s i n thi s tim e fram e wer e actuall y chailcrc db y TDH C customers , separat e fro mth e arrangemen t Sta r ha s wit h TDHC ? Additionally , wha t

wa s th e averag e far e charge dfo r thes e llights ? I n th e meantime , a s i s th e Dcparttiicni' s practice , furthe r processin g o f

th e applicatio n wil l b e deferre dpendin g receip t o f thi s material . W c not e tha t an y furthe r

submission s t o th e recor di

n thi s cas e mus t

b e accompanie db y th e followin g certification : Th e content s o f

thi s applicatio n an dth e attache dexhibi t (s ) ar e tru e an dcorrec t t o th e bes t o f m y knowledg e an dbelief . Pursuan t t o Titl e 1 8 Unite dState s Cod e Sectio n 1001 . 1 \llj c iiuiiviilna ! .v/i,'/////,t, ' rli e application , wh o sha U I w aprincipa l owner , .senio r

officer , o r

inierna ! coiuise l o f

th e applicant] , i

n m y individua l capacit y an da s th e authorize drepresentativ e o f th e applicant , hav e no t i n an y manne r knowingl y an dwillfull y falsified , conceale do r faile dt o disclos e an y materia l fac t

o r mad e an y false , fictitious , o r fraudulen t

statemen t

o r knowingl y use dan y document s whic h contai n suc h statement s i n connectio n wit h th e preparation , filin g o r

prosecutio n o f

th e application . I understan dtha t an individua l wh o i s foun dt o hav e violate dth e provision s o f I S U.S. C sectio n 100 1 shal l b e fine do r

imprisone dno t

mor e tha n fiv e years , o r both . Than k yo u fo r you r cooperatio n i

n thi s matter . I

f yo u hav e an y question s regardin g thi s lette r o r th e requeste dinformation , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t Kal y O'Tool e o f

m y staf f a t (202)366-9721 . Sineerely , tratiyn J . Rcm o Chief . Ai r

Canie r Fitnes s Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s

cc : Docke t

DOT-OST-2010-023 5Mr . Tiionia s Bichii i F A A Honolul u FSD O 13 5 Nakol o Plac e Honolulu . H I 9681 9