AFS-13-139-E

March 22, 2013

 Exemption No. 5318L

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2001-9348

Mr. Robert L. Ireland

Director, Technical Operations

Airlines for America

1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 1100

Washington, DC 20004-1707

Dear Mr. Ireland:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to extend Exemption No. 5318, 

as amended. It explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the conditions 

and limitations.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated December 21, 2012, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

on behalf of Airlines for America (A4A), formerly known as Air Transport Association of 

America, Inc. (ATA), for an extension of Exemption No. 5318, as amended. That exemption 

from §§ 47.49 and 91.203 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) allows A4Amember airlines to operate certain U.S.-registered aircraft on a temporary basis following the 

incidental loss or mutilation of a certificate of airworthiness, aircraft registration certificate, or 

both.

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons 

relative to public interest and safety that were the basis for granting the original exemption.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition in 

the Federal Register because the requested extension of the exemption would not set a 

precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to A4A.
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Our Decision

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 5318, as 

amended, remains valid with respect to this exemption and is in the public interest. Therefore, 

under the authority provided by 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has 

delegated to me, I grant your petition, subject to the conditions and limitations below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. Each A4A-member airline desiring to utilize this exemption must apply for and receive 

from the FAA district office responsible for its air carrier certificate an amendment to its 

operations specifications authorizing it to exercise the privileges of this exemption.

2. Each A4A-member airline utilizing the provisions of this exemption must develop a 

comprehensive program that:

a. Provides for continued operation of its aircraft through use of an appropriate 

entry in the aircraft logbook when the airworthiness certificate or registration 

certificate is lost, stolen, or mutilated; 

b. Ensures that timely application is made to the FAA for a replacement certificate; 

and 

c. Provides for the temporary operation of the aircraft during the interim required 

to receive a replacement certificate from the FAA and install it on the affected 

aircraft. 

3. This program must be FAA-approved, and instructions for its use shall be included in 

the air carrier’s manual as required by 14 CFR § 121.133.

4. The comprehensive program specified in paragraph 2 above must contain:

a. A requirement that the following statement be entered into the appropriate section of 

the aircraft logbook whenever this exemption is to be used:

“This aircraft is being operated without a certificate of registration (or airworthiness, 

as applicable) under the provisions of Exemption No. for a period of 3 working 

days, not including weekends or Federal holidays, following the start of the next 

business day, beginning: TIME:____ DATE:____ 20__”

The signature, title, and station location of the person(s) authorized by paragraph 4b

shall be affixed to this statement;

b. An identification of the designated person(s) within the air carrier’s maintenance 

organization authorized to enter the statement outlined in paragraph 4a and the 

method or methods wherein the documents required under paragraph 5 below will 

be transmitted to the affected aircraft;

c. An arrangement whereby those persons within the air carrier’s organization

responsible for certificates of airworthiness and registration maintain a current 
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record of the data from the certificates of each aircraft within its fleet that may be 

affected by the exemption. This data must be made readily available to that element 

within the air carrier’s maintenance organization identified in paragraph 4b and must 

be kept current at all times;

d. Procedures to ensure that the FAA principal maintenance inspector with 

responsibility for that air carrier is immediately notified of a missing or mutilated 

certificate and that timely application is made to the FAA for a replacement 

certificate (in the case of an airworthiness certificate) or a duplicate certificate (in 

the case of a registration certificate); and

e. Procedures that would describe specific duties and responsibilities by job title. 

5. The privileges of this exemption may only be exercised by an A4A-member airline for 

temporary replacement of a missing or mutilated certificate that is current and in effect 

and applies to U.S.-registered aircraft listed in each A4A-member airline’s FAAapproved operations specifications.

6. A copy of the grant of exemption and a copy of the operations specifications authorizing

its use must be carried on board the aircraft when exercising the privileges of the

exemption.

7. The privileges of the exemption may only be exercised when the affected aircraft is 

operated totally within the contiguous 48 States of the United States and the District of 

Columbia. 

The Effect of Our Decision

Our decision extends the termination date of Exemption No. 5318, as amended, to 

July 31, 2015, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely,

/s/

John M. Allen 

Director, Flight Standards Service