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BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of

MESA AIRLINES, INC.

for an exemption under 49 U.S.C. § 40109

(Dallas/Ft. Worth – Aguascalientes, Mexico)

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Docket DOT-OST-2015-____

APPLICATION OF MESA AIRLINES, INC.

FOR EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to:

Brian Gillman

Executive Vice President,

General Counsel and Secretary

Mesa Air Group, Inc.

410 North 44th Street, Suite 700

Phoenix, AZ 85008

TEL: 602-685-4000

FAX: 602-685-4350

Robert E. Cohn

Patrick R. Rizzi

HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

Columbia Square

555 Thirteenth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20004

+1 202 637 4999/5659

robert.cohn@hoganlovells.com

patrick.rizzi@hoganlovells.com

Counsel for

MESA AIRLINES, INC.

February 20, 2015

NOTICE: Mesa will be polling the carriers on the attached service list

about this Application and will report the polling results to the Department.
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BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of

MESA AIRLINES, INC.

for an exemption under 49 U.S.C. § 40109

(Dallas/Ft. Worth – Aguascalientes, Mexico)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

Docket DOT-OST-2015-____

February 20, 2015

APPLICATION OF MESA AIRLINES, INC.

FOR EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and Subpart C of the Department's Rules

of Practice (14 C.F.R. Part 302), Mesa Airlines, Inc. (“Mesa”) hereby applies for

exemption authority to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons,

property, and mail between Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas (“DFW”), and

Aguascalientes, Mexico (“AGU”), beginning on or about June 4, 2015, as soon

as all requisite regulatory approvals are obtained. Mesa requests that this

authority become effective as soon as possible for a period of at least two years,

subject to the Department’s standard conditions.

In addition, Mesa requests (i) a U.S.-Mexico operating carrier designation

for this route and (ii) that the Department notify the Mexican authorities

confirming Mesa’s authority to serve this route.

In support of this Application, Mesa respectfully states as follows:

1. Mesa is a Nevada corporation with its principal office at 410 North

44th Street, Suite 700, Phoenix, Arizona, 85008.
Application of Mesa Airlines, Inc. for Exemption Authority

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2. Mesa is a citizen of the United States within the meaning of

49 U.S.C. § 40102(a)(15) and is fit, willing, and able to provide the services

contemplated by this Application. Mesa holds various certificates of public

convenience and exemption authorities (including exemption authority to serve

certain points in Mexico). See, e.g., Notice of Action Taken, dated April 8, 2013

(Phoenix–Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico) (Docket DOT-OST-2009-0109); Notice of

Action Taken, dated October 24, 2014 (DFW-Leon/Queretaro) (Docket DOTOST-2014-0179). Pursuant to Rule 24 of the Department’s Rules of Practice,

Mesa requests that the Department take official notice of all information

previously filed to establish its fitness.

3. Mesa intends to operate scheduled air service in the DFW–AGU

market using regional jet aircraft operating under the “American Eagle” brand.1

Awarding the requested exemption authority to Mesa will enable Mesa and

American Airlines to offer public interest benefits by providing competition to

other carriers offering trans-border U.S.–Mexico services, as well as supporting

commerce and maintaining and enhancing travel options for the public. It will

also enable American to tailor capacity to demand on this trans-border route.

4. The exemption authority and designation sought herein are fully

consistent with the U.S.–Mexico Air Transport Services Agreement, as amended

(“the Agreement”). Annex I(A) of the Agreement authorizes carriers designated

by the U.S. under Route 1(a) to operate from “a point or points in the

1 Mesa understands that American Airlines, Inc. will be applying for DFW-AGU separately.
Application of Mesa Airlines, Inc. for Exemption Authority

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United States to a point or points in Mexico”. Annex I(B)(4) permits the U.S. to

designate two U.S. carriers to operate scheduled combination services between

any point in the U.S. and Aguascalientes. Envoy currently holds one of the two

designations for DFW-AGU. Therefore, one designation remains available to be

allocated by the Department to Mesa to conduct American Eagle service instead

of, or in addition to, Envoy on this route.

WHEREFORE, Mesa respectfully requests that the Department grant

Mesa’s Application for exemption authority and designation to engage in

scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between

Dallas/Ft. Worth and Aguascalientes, for at least two years, as requested herein.

Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________

Robert E. Cohn

Patrick R. Rizzi

HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

555 Thirteenth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20004

+1 202 637 4999/5659

Counsel for

MESA AIRLINES, INC.
Application of Mesa Airlines, Inc. for Exemption Authority

Page 4

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing Application of Mesa Airlines, Inc.

for Exemption Authority has been served this 20th day of February, 2015, upon

each of the following addressees:

dheffernan@cozen.com; jeremy.ross@alaskaair.com; howard.kass@aa.com;

robert.wirick@aa.com; sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com; chris.walker@delta.com;

matwood@cozen.com; slachter@cozen.com; jhill@cooley.com;

perkmann@cooley.com; bob.kneisley@wnco.com; leslie.abbott@wnco.com;

dkirstein@yklaw.com; jyoung@yklaw.com; thomas.ting@suncountry.com;

dan.weiss@united.com; steve.morrissey@united.com;

barbara.russell@virginamerica.com; brian.hedberg@dot.gov; brett.kruger@dot.gov;

englets@state.gov; info@airlineinfo.com

______________________________

Patrick R. Rizzi