BEFORE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.
Application of Portugalia- CompanhiaPortuguesa de Transportes Aereos S.A. for an exemption from 49 U.S.C. §41301 and Statement ofauthorization (long-term wet lease To TAP Portugal) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Docket OST-2008-0155 September 15, 2014



## _________________________________ )
ANSWER OF ATLAS AIR, INC.
Communications with respect to this document should be served on: Adam R. Kokas Executive Vice President, General

Counsel & ChiefHuman Resources Officer ATLAS AIR, INC. 2000 Westchester Avenue Purchase, NY 10577-2543 (914) 701-8576- Telephone (914) 701-8333- Fax adam.kokas@atlasair.com September 15, 2014 Russell E. Pommer Associate General Counsel &

Sr. Director, Regulatory Affairs ATLAS AIR, INC. 801 17th Street, NW, Suite 410 Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 822-9121 -Telephone (202) 822-9152- Fax rpommer@atlasair.comBEFORE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C.
Application of Portugalia- Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Aereos S.A. for an exemption from 49 U.S.C. §41301 and Statement ofauthorization (long-term wet lease To TAP Portugal) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )



# _________________________________) Docket OST-2008-0155 September 15, 2014

ANSWER OF ATLAS AIR, INC. By application dated August 29, 2014, Porugalia- Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Aereos S.A. ("PGA") has applied for renewal ofits exemption authority to the extent necessary to enable PGA to perform charters under 14 C.F. R. Part 121 in order to wet lease aircraft to TAP Portugal for use in connection with approved code-share services on certain TAP Portugal flights. Atlas Air, Inc. takes no position onthe exemption request but wishes to comment on a related issue. PGA, an EU airline, is seeking exemptionrenewal in order to continue to wet lease aircraft to another EU airline. The wet lease was authorized for an indefinite period by Notice ofAction Taken, September 9, 2010, before the Department began to focus its full attention on the discriminatory impact ofthe European Union's Regulation (EC) No. 1008/2008, which limits the duration ofU.S. airline wet leasing to EU airlines to two consecutive periods ofseven months.ATLAS AIR, INC. Answer Although DOT actionhas not beenrequested and is notrequired, the circumstances provide a concrete example ofthe disparity betweenthe EU'streatment of wet leases betweennon-EU and EU airlines, onthe one hand, and two EU airlines, onthe other. Atlas continues to urge prompt remediationby the European Commission, as sought bythe U.S. government.

September 15, 2014 Respectfully submil ted

# ~~f.~ Russell E. Pommer Associate General Counsel & Sr. Director,

Regulatory Affairs ATLAS AIR, INC. 801 17th Street, NW, Suite 410 Washington, D.C. 20006



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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that I have, this 

### 15th day ofSeptember 

### 2014, caused a copy ofthe foregoing document to be served by e-mail on all persons listed below:

Name Representing E-Mail Caol Gosain Portugalia**cgosain@ste~toe.com** Bob Wirick American robert.wirick@aa.com Sascha Vander Bellen Delta sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com Dan Weiss United dan.weiss@united.com Nancy Sparks FedEx**nss~arks@fedex.com** Anita Mosner UPS anita.mosner@hklaw.com John Richardson Amerijet 

### irichardson@johnIrichardson.com John Mietus Centurion john @mietuslaw.com Mark Atwood Kalitta matwood@cozen.com Kevin Mongtomery Polar**Kevin.montgomer~@~olaraircargo.com** John Duncan FAA John.s.duncan@faa.gov Steve Cristina DOS cristinasa @state.gov

Russell E. Pommer



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