**UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**  **OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.**  Issued by the Department of Transportation on March 19, 2012 

### NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN
**-- DOCKET**  **DOT**
**- OST** 
**- 20**  **11**
**- 0211** 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken by the Department official indicated (no additional confirming order will be issued in this matter). Applicant : 

### Aerovias **del Continente Americano S.A. (** **A vianca**  **)** Date Filed: November 16, 2011, as amended March 7, 2012 Relief requested: Exemption from 49 U.S.C. § 41301 to engage in the following services : (1) Foreign scheduled air transportation of persons, property and mail from points behind Colombia via Colombia and intermediate points to Boston ; Charlotte ; Chicago ; Cleveland ; Ft. Lauderdale ; Detroit ; Houston ; Los Angeles ; M iami ; New York ; San Juan ; Orlando ; and Washington, D.C., and beyond; and (2) Foreign charter air transportation of persons, property, and mail from points behind Colombia via Colombia and i ntermediate points to points in the United S tates and beyond. The applicant requests that its exemption authority be granted for a two

-year term. Applicant representative s : Richard D. Mathias & David M. Endersbee (202) 973

- 7917 DOT Analyst: Shelita A. Johnson (202) 366

- 1226 Responsive pleadings: None filed **DISPOSITION** Action: Approved in part (one

- year grant) , remainder (request for longer

- term authority) dismissed. 1
Action date : March , 2012 2
Effective dates of exemption authority granted: March 19, 2012

– March 19, 2013 Basis for approval (bilateral agreement/reciprocity): U.S.

- Colombia Air Transport Agreement Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations indicated: X Standard exemption conditions (attached) X Foreign air carrier permit (Order 8 6

- 9

- 36) Action taken by: Paul L. Gretch, Director

Office of International Aviation

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ Under authority assigned by the Department in its regulations, 14 CFR Part 385, we found that (1) the applicant is qualified to perform the proposed operations; (2) our action was consistent with Department policy; (3) grant of the authority was consistent with the public interest; and (4) grant of the authority would not constitute a major regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. To the extent not granted/deferred/dismissed, we denied all requests in the referenced Docket. We may amend, modify, or revoke the authority granted in this Notice at any time without hearing at our discretion.

1 The one

- year duration of the authority we granted is consistent with our usual policy of granting exemption authority in the circumstances presented. We, therefore, dismissed the application to the extent that it sought authority for a longer period

. 2 The Department is acting on the amended application of Avianca prior to the expiration of the 15

- day answer period with the con sent of all parties served.Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of the action set forth in this Notice under the Department’s regulations, 14 CFR § 385.30, may file their petitions within seven (7) days after the date of issuance of this Notice. This action was effective when taken, and the filing of a petition for review will not alter such effectiveness.

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at: h ttp://www.regulations.gov12/2007

**Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions** In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier applicant(s) 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 CFR 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 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 s ecurity 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 coverag e, 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 Government for international air se rvices; (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) Agree 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 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 St ates; or (b) based on a claim under any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any court 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 Parties 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 it s homeland; (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 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 laws of the United States. This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with the conditions imposed above. Moreover, this aut hority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit Department approval under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.