AFS

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September 20 , 2016

Exemption No. 9755 D Regulatory Docket No. FAA

- 2006

- 24996

Ms. Anne Shaw Manager of Flight Operations Regulatory Compliance and Certificate Management

Alaska A irlines, Inc.

P.O. Box 68900 Seattle, WA 98168

Dear Ms. Shaw :

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to extend Exemption No. 9755

, as amended. It expl ains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the conditio ns and limitations.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated July 5, 2016 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on

behalf of Alaska Airlines, Inc. (Alaska), for an extension of Exemption No. 9755 , as amended . That exemption from § 1 21.434(c)(1)(ii) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) allows Alaska to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman or aircrew program designee for an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying pilot in command (PIC) who is completing initial or upgrade training specified in § 121.424 during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and a landing.

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons relative to public interest and safety that were t he basis for granting the original exemption. In response to a request for clarification from the FAA dated July 20, 2016, Alaska confirmed that it requests to use the exemption outside of U.S. airspace because a significant portion of its daily operation involves flights to Hawaii and Alaska that cross international airspace. The FAA has amended the conditions and limitations to clarify that Alaska may operate outside of the United States under this exemption, unless otherwise prohibited by a foreign count ry.2

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 detrimenta l to Alaska

.

Our Decision

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 9755 , 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. § § 106( f )

, 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, Alaska Airlines, Inc. is granted an extension to its exemption from § 121.434(c)(1)(ii) that allows Alaska to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman or aircrew program designee for an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying PIC who is completing initial or upgrade training specified in § 121.424 during at least one flight leg that i ncludes a takeoff and a landing , subject to the following conditions and limitations.

Condit ions and Limitations

1. An Alaska check airman or aircrew program designee may conduct a

PIC observation in place of an FAA inspector when

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a. The Administrator preapproves that substitution for each observation of a qualifying PIC candidate, thus reserving f irst right of refusal to the FAA in each case. Alaska, therefore, must contact an appropriate FAA office, in each instance, before substituting that check airman or aircrew program designee;

b. The qualifying PIC candidate has completed no less than 10 hours of supervised operating experience (OE) and accomplished no fewer than two takeoffs and landings; and

c. The qualifying PIC candidate is performing PIC duties during a complete flight leg, including flightdeck preparation, before starting engines checklist, taxi, takeoff, all other flight phases, landing, taxi, and securing checklist.

2. Each Alaska check airman or aircrew program designee conducting a PIC observation in place of an FAA inspector must

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a. Be approved by the Administrator to conduct the observati on;

b. Have served as a check airman or aircrew program designee for Alaska for no less than 6 months;

c. Not supervise the OE or conduct the initial line check for the qualifying

PIC candidate being observed ; and

d. Conduct the observation from the observer seat only (i.e. not a required flightcrew member seat).3

Alaska must maintain student, check airman, and aircrew program designee records that demonstrate compliance with the conditions and limitations of this exemption.

3. Alaska may operate outside of the Uni ted States under this exemption, unless otherwise prohibited by a foreign country.

The Effect of Our Decision

Our decision extends the termination date to September 30, 2019

, unless sooner superseded or

rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standard Services