# p1llsburij

May4, 2012



### VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS AND E-MAIL

Samuel Podberes ky Assistant General Counsel for Aviation E"nforcement and Proceedings, C-70 U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.-Room W96-322 Washington, D.C. 20590



### Re: !,AN Colombia's request fgr Equivalent Alteroativt: under 

### 14 C.f.R.**;38~.§7-** Docket OST-2008-0272

Dear Mr. Podberesky:

Pursuant to 14 C.F.R. 382.10 (2008), Aerovias de lntegracion Regional Aires S.A. previously known as AIRES S.A. and currently d/b/a LAN Colombia I"LAN Colombia"), respectfully submits this request for an equivalent alternative determination related to priority space in the cabin to store 

## a passenger's wheelchairs.

Under §382.67 of the Air Carrier Access Act ("ACAA"), the Department ofTransportation (the "Department") requires that aircraft offoreign air carriers ordered after May 

### 13, 2.009 or delivered after May 13, 2010 with 100 or more passenger seats keep "priority space in the cabin of sufficient size to stow at least one adult-sized folding, collapsible, or break-down manual passenger wheelchair, the dimensions 

### of which are within a space of 

### 13 inches by 36 inches by 42 inches without having to remove the wheels or otherwise disassemble it." Furthermore, under §382.67(b} of the ACAA the priority space shall not be that of overhead compartments or under se()ts, which are typically used to stow passengers' carry-on items.

LAN Colombia began operating A320 aircraftto the United States on February 1, 2012. 1 when it moved 

### its operations from Fort lauderdale International Airport to Miami International Airport.2 

### See Exhibit A for aircraft A320 blueprint. During the month of April 2012 

### LAN Colombia received one A320 (registration number CC-BAF} and will be receiving in the future other similar aircraft that it intends to operate to the United States that do not have the required priority in-cabin space for an adult-sized wheelchair as required under §382.67 of

### the ACAA.

1 All current A320 aircrafts used in LAN Colombia's operations to the United States were either ordered before May 13, 2009 or delivered from the manufacturer before May 13, 2010, and therefore do not fall within the requirements of §382.67 of the ACAA. 2 Before February 1, 2012 LAN Colombia operated to the United States a fleet of Boeing 737s, which were delivered from the manufacturer before May 13, 2010.

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Since compliance with the rules and regulations of all jurisdictions where it operates is of upmost importance to LAN Colombia, at this time the use of the A320 aircraft with registration number CC-BAF has been placed on hold, to allow the Department to consider this current request for an equivalent alternative to the priority wheelchair cabin space requirement under §382.67 ofthe ACAA. Such matter is ofvalue to the company, as the use of the CC-BAF aircraft and other similarly designed A320s will provide LAN Colombia major operational flexibility.
Equivalent Alternative

As an equivalent alternative, LAN Colombia plans to follow the procedure it has in place for the transportation of passengers' wheelchairs on similar aircraft to the CC-BAF, which do not have in-cabin priority space for an adult-sized foldable wheelchair. As part ofthe procedure, during the boarding process, these wheelchairs and other similar items that are of priority to certain passengers are received at the main entrance of the aircraft, placed in a priority area of the cargo hold, and brought back to the main entrance immediately upon arrival of the aircraft at the gate prior to disembarkation. Specifically, section 13.2.10 of LAN Colombia's Ground Operations Manual states: 

### Transportation of Standard Wheelchairs

Standard wheelchairs shall be ticketed as Gate Dispatch and carried with maximum care, preferably at the entrance ofthe cargo hold.

At the destination, these shall be disembarked and delivered with maximum priority at the aircraft's main entrance.

. r· \- 

## ,- \VI. 

# c; f()<\AI"'Y\ See Exhibit B, pg. 9 of LAN Colombia's Ground Operations Manual.

In support of the above procedure, if the Department accepts LAN Colombia's proposal for an equivalent alternative, LAN Colombia will update its General Operations Manual ("MGO") and the Cabin Crew Manual to include in the applicable sections the following:

On aircraft A320FAM, series number 4383 and up, once the passenger reaches the aircraft door upon entering the aircraft, the passenger's own wheelchair must be stored as the last item in the main deck ofthe aircraft's cargo hold and labeled with a priority tag. Upon arrival at the 

# \A.
destination airport or any other alternate airport, airport personnel will make the wheelchair
& 

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available to the passenger with maximum griority at the aircraft's main entrance upon 

## l**~** 

## - disembarkation. (.___ 

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# ~ One of the main benefits of the mentioned procedure is that it allows not just one, but

# all~ VJ'0. 

# YJ traveling with foldable wheelchairs to have access to their wheelchairs upon arrival, within a time period · close to or the same as if it would be if the wheelchair where transported in-cabin. Furthermore, personnel at both Miami and Bogota have already been trained to comply with the proposed procedure, and therefore will not require additional training to ensure compliance with the proposed equivalent alternative, though LAN Colombia will reinforce the procedure requirements in trainings and through procedural updates and communications similar to the one proposed in Exhibit 

### C.

2

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We are aware that similar procedures are used by at least one foreign air carrier operating A320 family aircraft in order to comply with the ACAA, and therefore respectfully submit that the proposed procedure provides substantially equivalent alternative for the transportation of one adult-sized wheelchair on-board. LAN Colombia appreciates the Department's consideration of its proposed equivalent alternative and looks forward to its determination.

A redacted version of this document will be accordingly docketed.
Respectfully submitted,

Josh Romanow Justin J. Bintrim Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 2300 N. Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 Tel: {202) 663-8000 Fax: (202) 663-8007 romanow@pillsburylaw.com justin. bintrim@ pillsbu rylaw .com



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EXHIBIT A

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A 

### 8 

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### 1



### 2 2

3 

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IN0cBIIII..__.------I...I...AQTY.PARTNUMBfflDESCRIPTIOH861304E>EABRIUATOR(SEeNOTE3)APPUCABILITYTABLELIFEVESTPAXJUNGLESVRVIVAI.I<IT{Undeuaci>Oeat)(83123-101){S3123-103AI.l)LAIWOPERATION168EIASEENOTE2LANARGENTINAOPERAnON188E/ANOREQ.LANPERUOPERATIONNOREQ.1EIALANECUADOROPERATION168EIA1EIA---·-------··-·--NOTES:1.-INSTAI.lTWOOXYGENMASKtNEVERYPORTABLEOXYGENBOTTLE.2.-OPTIONALFORLAILUOFIERATION.3.-IFlJiEDEFISRli.LATORISNOTINSTAU.ED,THEDISPATCHISNOTAfFECTED.ISTCHI:STRETCHERLOCAllONCEJ:FACII.mESfORHANOlCAPI'EO(PROVlli!OtlS):OONVER!llll.ESEAn>LB:UMITEOllREAI<OVEROW:0\IERWINGJS;JUMI'SEAT(6)GAS:<lABINAmHDAHrSEATOH6·:oveRHt;AD1!1NREM/IRKS

# EXHIBIT B

# I AIRES SA REF PAGINA 

### FECHA MOT·GRH.001 9 29.SEP·11 (RJ04)
MANUAL DE OPERACIONES TERRESTRES



### 13.2.10

13.2.11 IMPORTANT§: En estaciones de transite, el EOP debera asegurar que los retenidos se mantengan siempre Ia posici6n definida en 

### el parrafo anterior.

Transporte de Sillas de Ruedas Nonnales
Las sillas de ruedas normales, seran etiquetadas como Gate Dispatch y cargadas teniendola maxima precauci6n, preferentemente a Ia entrada del compartimiento de carga a granel.
En 

### el destino, deberan ser desembarcadas 

### y entregadas en Ia puert.a del avi6n t::on maxima prioridad.

Transporte de Sillas de Ruedas con Bateria

1) Aviso ante transporte de Sillas de Ruedas con Bateria
Toda vez que sa transporten sillas de ruedas con baterlas, el area de servicio al pasajero debera dar aviso oportunamente al area a cargo del peso y balance y al EOP a cargo del vuelo, a fin de que esta disponga del espacio nacesario para ·Ia ubicaci6n en los compartimientos de carga y coordine su manejo en tierra.
El area de Servicio al Pasajero debera ademas confeecionar un NOTOC con Ia infonnaci6n respectiva de Ia silla de ruedas. 2) Presentacion y Embarque
Las sillas de ruedas motorizadas debersm ser prasentadas en el puente de embarque, antes del inicio del embarque de pasajeros con Ia baterfa desconectada y sus bomes aislados. El EOP a 

### cargo del vuelo dispondra de su traslado hacia el compartimiento de carga donde sera ubicada y ftjaci6n al piso, recibiendo un tratamiento de bulto HEA si esta pesa 90 Kg o mas.

· Nota 1: Dependiendo de Ia infraestructura del aeropuerto, esta podrla ser llavada directamente at bagroom para serdespachada directamente al avi6n. · Nota 2: 8 area de Servicio a! Pasajero debera dar aviso oportunamante al EOP a cargo del vuelo, a fin de coordinar el embarque de esta. Segun el tlpo de baterla que posea esta silla de ruedas, el**are~** de servlcio 

### al pasajero debera antragar las sUias de ruedas cumpliendo las siguientes condiciones para su embarque; ··,· ..,·

# EXHIBIT C

### MGO, Vol.4:
Sample of the memorandum to be distributed to cabin crew:



### . FROM: LAN Colombia Operations



### MEMO No._ PROPOSAL



### SUBJECT: Boarding of passengers traveling with their standard, collapsible wheelchairs

Dear Crew Members:

Please be advised that, in accordance with legal requirements in the United States, aircraft must have priority space in the cabin of sufficient size to stow at least one adult-sized folding, collapsible, or breakdown manual passenger wheelchair, without having to remove the wheels or otherwise disassemble it. Such priority space shall not be that of overhead compartments or under seats, which are typically used to stow passengers' carry-on items.

The said priority space is not available inside the cabin ofA320 aircraft with registration CC·BAF, and will not be available on other similar aircraft that the company will be receiving in the near future. As a result, in lieu of compliance with the above referenced requirement, the following procedure must be strictly followed:
Once the passenger using his/her own wheelchair reaches the aircraft door, airport personnel 

### will load the passengers wheelchair, as the last item, inside the main deck ofthe aircraft's cargo hold and labeled with a priority tag. Upon arrival at the destination airport or any other alternate airport, airport personnel 

### will make the wheelchair available to the passenger with maximum priority at the aircraft's main entrance.

This Operational Memorandum must be registered at the QRH and be available until the next MTC revision.

Cc: Flight Operations Manager- LAN Colombia S.A.- 

### Camilo Sinisterra Operational Standards Manager- Rudy Stange



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