Order 20 10

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation

on the 30 th day of September, 20 10

Served: September 30, 2010

Application of

ACROPOLIS AVIATION LIMITED Docket DOT

- OST

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- 0 150

for a n exe mption under 49 U.S.C. §40109 and a f oreign air carrier permit under 49 U.S.C. §41301

ORDER GRANTING EXEMPTION AND TO SHOW CAUSE

Summary

By t his order we (1) grant the application of the referenced foreign air carrier for an exemption under 49 U.S.C. §40109, subject to conditions; 1 and (2) tentatively find that it is in the public interest to grant the applicant th e f

oreign air carrier permit a ttached as Appendix B to this order.

Background

By Notice dated May 3, 2007, we invited foreign air carriers of the European Union (EU) to apply for Department economic authority to conduct operations to and from the United States under the U.S.

- EU

Air T ransport Agreement. In that Notice, we stated our intent to process requests for this authority under the “streamlining” procedures set out in our August 23, 2005 Notice in Docket OST

- 2005

- 22228, in which we announced several steps designed to simplify ou r regulatory procedures for licensing foreign (and U.S.) air carriers. Our action in this Order serves to implement those streamlined regulatory procedures for the application involved in this proceeding.

Application

By application filed June 9, 2010, A cropolis Aviation Limited, a foreign air carrier of the United Kingdom, requests an e xe mption under 49 U.S.C § 40109, and a f oreign air carrier permit under 49 U.S.C. § 41301, to engage in the following servic es: :

a. F oreign c harter air transportation of per sons , property and mail fr om any point or points behind any Member State of the European Union via any point or points in any Member State and via intermediate points to any point or points in the United States and beyond;

1 The conditions are attached a s Appendix A.2

b. Foreign c harter air transporta tion of persons , p roperty and mail between any point or points in the United States and any point or points in any member of the European Common Aviation

Area ;

c. Foreign charter all

- cargo air transportation between any point or points in the United States and any other point or points;

d. Other charters pursuant to the prior approval requirements set forth in 14 CFR Part 212 of the Department’s regulations ; and

e. Charter t ransportation authorized by any additional route rights made available to E uropean Unio n carriers in the future

.

The applicant provided evidentiary materials required by 14 CFR Part 211 of our regulations to support its requests for authority.

We received no answers to the application.

Decision

We have decided, consistent with our August 23, 2005 Notice referenced above, to grant the applicant’s request for exemption authority, as described below and subject to conditions, and tentatively to grant, subject to show

- cause procedures, its request for a f oreign air carrier permit, also subjec t to conditions.

Specifically, we will grant Acropolis Aviation Limited e xemption authority for the services set forth in ordering paragraph 1 below. We will tentatively grant Acropolis Aviation Limited a foreign air carrier permit for these services

.

A s an additional matter, Acropolis Aviation Limited requested that we grant it, in addition to authority currently contained in the U.S.

- EU Agreement, authority to conduct t ransportation authorized by any additional route rights made available to E U carrier s in the future. We are granting the request of Acropo lis Aviation Limited f or this authority by exemption (and tentatively granting it by foreign air carrier permit). We are, however, requiring Acropolis Aviation Limited, before it commences any new

ser vice under this authority, to provide us with evidence that it holds a homeland license for that new service, unless it has already provided such evidence. 2

With respect to the applicant’s request for exemption authority, we find that grant of this author ity, as conditioned, is consistent with the public interest . We also find that the applicant is financially and operationally qualified to perform the services authorized , and that it is substantially owned and effectively controlled in a manner consisten t with the provisions of the U.S.

- EU Agreement

. 3 We also find that the authority sought by the applicant is encompassed by the U.S.

- EU Air Transport Agreement

.

Further, we note that the applicant is properly licensed by its homeland to perform the prop osed services. In addition, by memorandum dated July 20, 2 010, the Federal Aviation Administration advised us that it

2 See Orders 2007

- 6

- 19 and 2007

- 10

- 1, and Orders 2007

- 7

- 13 and 2007

- 10

- 16, where we granted this authority to British Airways Plc. and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., respectively.

3 We make this finding based on Article 2 (Reciprocal Recogniti on of Regulatory Determinations with Regard to Airline Fitness and Citizenship) of the Protocol to amend the U.S.

- EU Air Transport Agreement, signed

June 24, 2010.3

knew of no reason why we should act unfavorably on the applicant’s requests. We have verified the applicant’s compliance with 14 CFR Par ts 203 (Warsaw liability waiver), and 205 (insurance requirements).

In view of the above, we find that grant of the requested exemption authority, as conditioned, for a two

year term, or until the requested permit authority becomes effective, whichever oc curs earlier, is

warranted.

Tentative Findings and Conclusions

-- Foreign Air Carrier Permit Application

We tentatively find and conclude that the public interest warrants granting the applicant a n amended foreign air carrier permit, in the form attached a s Appendix B and subject to the conditions attached. 4 In particular, we tentatively find and conclude that the factors which support our grant of exemption authority to the applicant, as discussed above, also warrant granting the applicant th e foreign air carrier permit it seeks.

In view of the foregoing and all facts of record and acting under authority assigned by the Department in its regulations, 14 CFR Part 385, we tentatively find and conclude that:

1. It is in the public interest to issue the app licant a f oreign air carrier permit in the form attached ;

2. The applicant is fit, willing and able properly to perform the foreign air transportation described in the attached permit and to conform to the provisions of Title 49 of the U.S. Code, and to our rules, regulations, and requirements;

3. The applicant is substantially owned and effectively controlled in a manner consistent with the provisions of the U.S.

- EU Agreement ;

4 . The public interest requires that the exercise of the privileges grant ed by the permit should be subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations contained in the attached permit, and to such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations required by the public interest as we may prescribe;

5 . The issuance of this fo reign air carrier permit will not constitute a major regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as defined in 14 CFR §313.4(a)(1) of our regulations; 5

6 . The public interest does not require an oral evidentiary hearing on the application; and

7 . Our action with respect to this foreign air carrier permit should, unless disapproved by the President of the United States under §41307 of Title 49 of the U.S. Code, become effective on the 61st day after its submission for §41307 r eview, or upon the date of receipt of advice from the President or his designee under Executive Order 12597 and implementing regulations that he or she does not intend to disapprove this portion of the Department’s decision under that section, whichever oc curs earlier

.

In view of the above, we find that, with respect to the exemption authority we are conferring on the applicant, the applicant is qualified to perform those operations, and that grant of the exemption authority

4 The applicant’s request for a foreign air carrier permit was summarized in the Departm ent’s published weekly list of applications filed. This notice described the authority sought and gave interested persons an opportunity to submit evidence and objections to the award of this foreign air carrier permit authority.

5 This finding is based on the fact that the grant of this permit will not result in a near

- term net annual change in aircraft fuel consumption of 10 million gallons or more.4

is consistent with the public i nterest and would not constitute a major regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975.

ACCORDINGLY,

1. We grant the request of Acropolis Aviation Limited for a n exemption under 49 U.S.C. §40109 for the

services set forth belo w:

a. Foreign c harter air transportation of persons, property and mail f rom any point or points behind any Member State of the European Union via any point or points in any Member State and via intermediate points to any point or points in the United States and beyond;

b. Foreign c harter air transportation of persons

, property and mail between any point or points in the United States and any point or points in any member of th e European Common Aviation Area;

c. Foreign charter all

- cargo air transportation bet ween any point or points in the United States and any other point or points;

d. Other c harters pursuant to the prior approval requirements set forth in the Department’s regulations governing charters; and

e. C harter t ransportation authorized by an y additional route rights made available to E uropean Union carriers in the future.

2. Acropolis Aviation Limited shall, before it commences any new service under subparagraph ( e ) of ordering paragraph 1 above, provide the Department in Docket DOT

- OST

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- 0 150 with e vidence that it holds a homeland license for that new service, unless it has already provided such evidence to the Department;

3

. The exercise of the privileges granted above is subject to compliance by Acropolis Aviation Limited

wi th the conditions list ed in Appendix A;

5 . Our action granting the exemption authority described herein

, subject to the provisions of the ordering paragraph s above, is effective immediately, for a period of two years from the issue date of this order, or until the attached pe rmit becomes effective, whichever is earlier;

6 . We may amend, modify, or revoke the exemption authority set forth herein at our discretion at any time and without hearing;

7 . To the extent not acted upon above, we dismiss all requests for exemption au thority in th e referenced

docke t ( DOT

- OST

- 20 10

- 0 150 ) ;

8 . With respect to the applicant’s request for a f oreign air carrier permit in this proceeding, we direct all interested persons to show cause why our tentative decision on that application, set forth above, should not be made final;

9 . Any interested person objecting to the issuance of an order making final our tentative findings and conclusions with respect to the applicant’s request for a foreign air carrier permit shall, no later than
twenty

- one (21) calendar days after the date of service of this order, file with the Department and serve5

on the parties to this proceeding, a statement of objections specifying the part or parts of the tentative findings and conclusions objected to, together with a summary of testimony, statistical data, and concrete evidence to be relied upon in support of the objections; if objections are filed, answers to objections are due no later than seven (7) calendar days thereafter;

10 . If timely and properly supported obj ections are filed, we will give further consideration to the matters and issues raised by the objections before we take further action;

1 1 . In the event no objections are filed, all further procedural steps shall be deemed waived, and the Department will enter an order which will (subject to Presidential review under §41307 of Title 49 of the U.S. Code) make final our tentative findings and conclusions set forth in this order; and

1 2 . We will serve a copy of this order on Acropolis Aviation Limited, the E mbassy of the United Kingdom, in Washington, D.C., the Department of State, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

By:

PAUL L. GRETCH

Director

Office of International Aviation

(SEAL)

Appendices

An electronic version of this document is ava ilable on the World Wide Web at: http://www.regulations .govForeign Air Carrier Exemption Conditions Appendix A

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 Adminis tration, 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 requiremen ts 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 Ad ministration’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 requirem ents 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 Ord er, 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 onl y 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 cour t 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 Partie s fo r the purpose of this definition;

(8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or terminate all flights to/from the United States in a Member State of the European Union;

(9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the r eporting 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 la ws of the

United States.

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with the conditions imposed abov e. Moreover, this authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit Department approval under Title 49 of the U.S.

Code.

EU carrier 0 1/ 200 8Appendix B

Issued by
Order 20 10

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

-------------------------------------------------------- PERMIT TO FOR EIGN AIR CARRIER

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

### ACROPOLIS AVIATION LIMITED

A Foreign Air Carrier of the United Kingdom

is authorized, subject to the following provisions, the provisions of Title 49 of the U.S. Code, and the orders, rules, and regulations of the Department of Transportation, to engage in:

Foreign c harter air transportation of persons
, property and mail from any point or points behind any Member State of the European Union via any point or points in any Me mber State and via intermediate points to any point or points in the United States and beyond;

Foreign c harter air transportation of persons
, property and mail between any point or points in the United States and any point or points in any member of the European Common Aviation Area;

Foreign c harter all

- cargo air transportation between any point or points in the United States and any other point or points;

Other charters pursuant to the prior approval requirements set forth in the Department’s regulat ions governing charters ; and

C harter tra nsportation authorized by any additional route rights made available to European Union carriers in the future; provided , that the holder shall, before it commences any new service under such additional route rights , provide the Department with evidence that it holds a homeland license for that new service (unless it has already provided such evidence to the Department). Such evidence shall be filed in Docket DOT

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.

This permit and the exercise of the p rivileges granted in it shall be subject to the terms, conditions and limitations in both the order issuing this permit and the attachment to this order, and to all applicable provisions of any treaty, convention or agreement affecting international air tr ansportation now in effect, or that may become effective during the period this permit remains in effect, to which the United States and the holder’s homeland are or shall become parties.

This permit shall be effective on . Unless otherwise terminated at an earlier date pursuant to the terms of any applicable treaty, convention or agreement, this permit shall terminate (1) upon the dissolution or liquidation of the holder to whom it was issued; (2) upon the effective date of any treaty,

conv ention, or agreement or amendment, which shall have the effect of eliminating the right for the service authorized by this permit from the service which may be operated by airlines of the European

Union and its Member States (or, if the right is partially eliminated, then the authority of this permit shallterminate in like part); or (3) upon the termination or expiration of the applicable air services agreement

between the United States and the European Union and its Member States. However, clause (3) of this paragraph shall not apply if prior to such termination or expiration, the foreign air transportation authorized herein becomes the subject of another treaty, convention or agreement to which the United States and the European Union and its Member Stat es become parties.

The Department of Transportation has executed this permit and affixed its seal on

By:

PAUL L. GRETCH

Director

Office of International Aviation

(SEAL)Foreign Air Carrier Permit Conditions

In the conduct of the operations au thorized, 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 CF R 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 t hat

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 auth ority, 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 Go vernment 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) Agr ee 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 Stat es that

a re: (a) based on its operations in international air transportation that, according to the contract of carriage, include a p oint in the United States as a point of origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for which the contract of carria ge was purchased in the United States; or (b) based on a claim under any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any court o r 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 Partie s 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 a Member State of the European Union;

(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 otherwi se 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 a s 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 comp liance 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.

EU carrier 1/2008