BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

__________________________________________ 

 ) 

Application of ) 

 ) 

CARIBBEAN AIRLINES LIMITED ) DOCKET OST-2006-26586 

 ) 

 for renewal of exemption authority ) 

(Trinidad and Tobago-U.S.) ) 

__________________________________________) 

APPLICATION OF CARIBBEAN AIRLINES LIMITED 

FOR RENEWAL OF AN EXEMPTION

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to: 

John R. Mietus, Jr. 

Law Office of John Mietus, LLC 

6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 300 

Bethesda, MD 20817-7500 

(202) 747-5212 

(240) 396-5362 fax 

john@mietuslaw.com 

Counsel for CARIBBEAN AIRLINES 

LIMITED

 

NOTICE: Any person may support or oppose this application by filing an 

answer and serving a copy of the answer on counsel for 

Caribbean Airlines and upon persons served with this 

application no later than May 1, 2012. 

April 16, 2012
BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

__________________________________________ 

 ) 

Application of ) 

 ) 

CARIBBEAN AIRLINES LIMITED ) DOCKET OST-2006-26586 

 ) April 16, 2012 

 for renewal of exemption authority ) 

(Trinidad and Tobago-U.S.) ) 

__________________________________________) 

APPLICATION OF CARIBBEAN AIRLINES LIMITED 

FOR RENEWAL OF AN EXEMPTION

 Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109(c), Caribbean Airlines Limited ("CAL") 

respectfully requests renewal of the above-captioned exemption, granted by 

Notice of Action Taken dated April 21, 2011 (the “Notice”), for an additional, 

one-year period. The Notice permits CAL to engage in: 

(a) scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail (1) 

between Trinidad and Tobago via the intermediate points of Antigua, Aruba, 

the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire and Curacao, the Cayman 

Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, 

Martinique, St. Kitts, and St. Lucia, to the U.S. Virgin Islands, San Juan, 

New York, Miami, Orlando, Boston, and Washington, D.C. and beyond San 

Juan to Zurich and Stockholm, beyond New York to Toronto, and beyond 

Miami and San Juan to Mexico and points in Central America except Belize; 

and (2) between Trinidad and Tobago via Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St. 

Lucia and St. Maarten to San Juan and beyond to Jamaica; 

(b) charter foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between 

points in Trinidad and Tobago and points in the United States; and 

(c) other charters pursuant to Part 212 of the Department’s rules. 
 

 - 2 - Caribbean Airlines 

 Renewal Application 

CAL intends to invoke the automatic extension provisions of 5 U.S.C. § 558(c) 

and Part 377 of the Department's Special Regulations. In support of this 

application, CAL states as follows: 

 1. CAL is a flag carrier of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and 

currently holds various exemptions, including that described above, 

authorizing service between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, on the one 

hand, and various U.S. points, on the other, via various intermediate and 

beyond points. CAL provides air service to and from the U.S. pursuant to 

this authority. 

 2. By this application, CAL seeks renewal of the above-captioned 

exemption. The authority is scheduled to expire on April 21, 2012. CAL is 

currently using the exemption authority to provide nonstop Port of SpainMiami and Port of Spain-New York service. These flights provide significant 

benefits to the traveling public, and CAL therefore seeks to renew the 

authority for an additional year. 

 3. Under the 2010 Air Transport Services Agreement between the 

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, airlines of the former 

have the right to perform international air transportation "from points 
 

 - 3 - Caribbean Airlines 

 Renewal Application 

behind Trinidad and Tobago via Trinidad and Tobago and intermediate 

points to any point or points in the United States and beyond; and for allcargo service, between the United States and any point or points...." CAL has 

been properly designated under the Agreement and continues to hold 

authority from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to operate the relevant 

routes. 

 4. Under 49 U.S.C. § 40109(c), the Department may grant an 

exemption if it finds that a grant is consistent with the public interest. 

Designation of a carrier by its homeland government is the most significant 

factor in determining whether grant of an application is in the public 

interest. See, e.g., Bluebird Cargo Ltd., Order 2004-8-24 at 3-4; Fast Air 

Carrier Ltda., Permit Amendment, Order 82-2-66 at 3-4. Given CAL's 

designation for this route under the open skies Trinidad and Tobago-U.S. 

bilateral, such a public interest finding is warranted. Moreover, the benefits 

which the service generates for business travelers, tourists, and shippers 

alike further demonstrate that renewal of the exemption is consistent with 

the public interest.