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

Request of: ) ) Silk Way West Airlines ) Docket OST-2014-0111 ) to amend issued exemption authority and ) pending application for a foreign air carrier permit ) and motion to expedite processing ) (Baku-Hong Kong-Chicago-New York-Luxemburg-Baku) )



### ANSWER OFNATIONAL AIRLINES TO REQUEST OF SILKWAY WEST AIRLINES APPLICATION TO AMEND ISSUED EXEMPTION AUTHORITY Communications withrespect to this document should be sent to: Glen G. Joerger President National Air Cargo Group, Inc., d/b/aNational Airlines 5955 T. G. Lee Blvd Suite 500 Orlando, FL 32822

October 23, 2014 Pierre Murphy Law Offices ofPierre Murphy 1200 NewHampshire Avenue, N.W. Suite 590 Washington, D.C. 20036 Telephone: (202) 776-3980 Facsimile: (202) 776-3975 Email: pmurphy@lopmurphy.com Attorney for National Air Cargo Group, Inc. d/b/a National Airlines

### BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.

Request of: Silk Way West Airlines

to amend issued exemption authority and pending application for a foreign air carrier permit ) ) ) ) ) ) and motionto expedite processing ) (Baku-Hong Kong-Chicago-New York-Luxemburg-Baku) ) Docket OST-2014-0111



### ANSWER OFNATIONAL AIRLINES TO REQUEST OF SILKWAY WEST AIRLINES APPLICATION TO AMEND ISSUED EXEMPTION AUTHORITY National Air Cargo Group, Inc., d/b/aNational Airlines ("National") respectfully responds to the request ofSilk Way West Airlines ("Silk Way West") to amend its issued exemption authority.

Other than a purported "greater economic efficiency" for its Baku

- New York operation already authorized bythe Department onprinciples ofcomity and reciprocity, Silk Way West has submittedno valid basis for an award ofthe additional, extraordinarily broad intermediate and beyond authority (Hong Kong & Luxemburg) it is again seeking and nothing has changed since the award to Silk Way West ofBaku- NewYork authority. The Department should not change its initial decision to decline awarding the incredibly broad intermediate and beyond authorities sought by Silk Way West.ANSWER OF NATIONAL AIRLINES Clearly it is Silk Way West's intentionto transport substantial Hong Kong- U.S. and U.S.- Luxemburg cargo, both major U.S. all-cargo markets, butmarkets to which a carrier from

a country where there is no governing aviation bilateral agreement has no basis to operate. As reflected in the Department's award ofauthority herein, there is no basis for the award ofsuch substantial authority onthe basis ofcomity and reciprocity which has not been demonstrated.

Further, in connection with the comity and reciprocity principles which apply to U.S. Azerbaijan aviation relations, National has onmultiple occasions now been denied crew visas both in and out ofBaku preventing and substantially hindering National's authorized operations
inthe region.

Under these circumstances, Silk Way West's application should be denied as being unduly broad and inconsistent with the applicable governing aviation principles.

October 23,2014

2 espectfl4ly submitted, 

# ' (**~------=-~** ierr

# ~ L ffices ofPierre Murphy 1200 NewHampshire Avenue, N.W. Suite 590 Washington, D.C. 20036 Telephone: (202) 776-3980 Facsimile: (202) 776-3975 Email: pmurphy@lopmurphy.com Attorney for National Air Cargo Group, Inc. d/b/aNational AirlinesCERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that I have on this day served a copy ofthe foregoing document onthis 23rd day ofOctober 2014 upon each ofthe following email addresses: gpwicks@wicks-group.com ekagrimes@wicks-group.com sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com chris.walker@delta.com dshort@fedex.com sllunsford@fedex.com nssparks@fedex.com gbleopard@fedex.com msinick@ssd.com enisson@nac.aero mwiegele@nac.aero kevin.montgomery@polaraircargo.com peter.beckett@polaraircargo.com dan.weiss@united.com pdoell@naca.cc robert.wirick@aa.com francis.heil@aa.com howard.kass@usairways.com benjamin.slocum@usairways.com rsilverberg@sgbdc.com jjohnson@sgbdc.com jrichardson@johnlrichardson.com jcanny@amerijet.com john@mietuslaw.com rpommer@atlasair.com matwood@cozen.com nwallace@wallaceair.com agoerlich@ggh-airlaw.com dhainbach@ggh-airlaw.com judy@lac.lynden.com rzerkel@lac.lynden.com gwhite@lac.lynden.com jdavis@lac.lynden.com TGillies@lsouthemair.com anita.mosner@hklaw.com jennifer.nowak@hklaw.com dsmalls@ups.com stephen.lachter@lachterlaw.com EngleTS@state.gov

Kristin K. Leake