# o U.S
. Departmen t ' GENERA L COUNSE L 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue
. S E O f Transportatio n JUN E 13 , 201 1 Washington
. D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secrefar y ,^
. o f Transportafio n ^

Registere d MaJl-Retur n Receip t Requeste d

- - ,~r : ^ • 'Z i Vesn aVinsk i ~ ~ rrn^r n Qanta s Airways , Ltd
. " Q >-^ ^ Qanta s Centr e 20 3 Cowar d St . _ _r^o O Mascot , NSW . 202 0 Australi a^ 1 ,^^" " C O Re : Equivalen t

Alternativ e Determinatio n Reques t Concernin g 1 4 CF R382.6 1
Dea r Ms . Vinski : Thi s lette r

concern s th e Jul y 9 , 2010 , reques t o f Qanta s Airways , Ltd
. (Qantas) , fo r a n equivalen t

alternativ e determinatio n concernin g th e movabl e aisl e armres t requiremen t "containe di n 1 4 CF R382.6 1 o f th e Department' s Ai r

Carrie r Acces s Ac t

(ACAA ) regulatio n fo r th e premiu meconom y clas s seat s i n it s Airbu s A38 0 aircraft
. W e ar e grantin g Qantas ' reques t subjec t t o th e condition s discusse dbelow
. Sectio n 382.61(a ) require s carrier s t o ensur e tha t "aircraf t wit h 3 0 o r

mor e passenge r

seats ' o n whic h passenge r

aisl e seat s hav e armrest s ar e equippe dwit h movabl e aisl e armrest s o n a t leas t one-hal f o f th e aisl e seat s i n row s i n whic h passenger s wit h mobilit y impairment s ar e permitte dt o si t

unde r FA A o r

applicabl e foreig n governmen t safet y rules. " Sectio n 382.61(c ) note s tha t

movabl e aisl e armrest s mus t b e "provide dproportionatel y i n al l classe s o f servic e i n th e cabin." ^ Furthermore , th e Enforcemen t Offic e ha s interprete dmovabl e aisl e armres t

a s meanin g a n armres t o n a n aisl e sea t

tha t completel y move s o r

fold s ou t

o f th e wa y whil e th e seatbac k remain s i n a n uprigh t

positio n t o permi t

apassenge r

wit h a mobilit y impairmen t

t o safel y mak e a n unobstructe dtransfe r (wit h assistanc e fro mcarrie r personne l i f

th e passenger' s physica l abilit y necessitate s suc h assistance ) fro ma n aisl e wheelchai r

t o hi s o r he r aircraf t seat .

' Th e Depanment' s Offic e o f Aviatio n Enforcemen t

andProceeding s (Enforcemen t Office ) ha s lon g hel dthat ih e passenge r

seatin g capacity o f

a n aircraf t i s th e manufacturer' s maximu mdesigne dseatin g capacit y o f a give n aircraf

t type . Therefore , acarrie r

ma y no t avoi dcomplianc e wit

h th e aircraf

t accessibility requiremen t o f Par t 38 2 b y reducin g (h

e numbe r o f seat s o n a n aircraf t o r orderin g a

n aircraf t wit h fewe r seat s tha n it s designe dseatin g capacity
. Fo r example , i

f amanufacturer

design s a n aircraf t typ e t o hol damaximu mo

f 11 0 passenge r seats , the Enforcemen t

Offic e woul dtrea

t th e aircraf t a s a n aircraf t wit h apassenge r

seatin g capacity o f 11 0 eve n i f acarrie r stipulate s tha

t th e aircraf t i s t o b e delivere dwit

h 9 9 seal s o r

rake s delivery o f

a n aircraf t wit h 11 0 seat s and(hen remove s 1 1 seats .

" For es.ample
. i

f 8 0 percen t o f th e aisl e seat s i n whic h passenger s wit h mobility impairment s ma

y si t ar e i n coach , and2 0 percen t

are i n first class , then 8 0 percen t

o f th e movabl e aisl e armrest s mus t b e i n coach , wit

h 2 0 percen t i n fu^s t class
.•personne l if the passenger' s physica

l abilit y necessitate s such as'sistance)_fro ma n aisl e wheelchai r t o hi s o r he r aircraf t seat . I n its equivalent

alternativ e determinatio n request , Qanta s state s tha t th e premiumeconom

y clas s seat s i

n it s Airbu s A38 0 aircraf t do no t have movabl e aisl e armrest s a s require d b y sectio n 382.61 . However , Qanta s assert s tha t the sea t pitch an d amoun t of entranc e spac e i

n it s premiumeconom

y clas s seat s provid e passenger s wit h amobilit

y impairment

sufficien t spac e to easily transfe

r to an d fro mthos e seat s without

havin g t o b e lifte

d ove r th e fixe d aisl e armrest . Th e Departmen

t ha s reviewe d Qantas ' premiu meconom

y clas s sea

t schematic s an

d aircraf t configuratio n diagrams
. Th e Departmen t als o reviewe d Qantas ' video , whic h demonstrate s bot h acarrier-assiste d an

d aself-assiste d horizonta l transfe r o f aperso n wit

h amobilit

y impairmen

t fro ma n aisl e or boardin g wheelchair

to Qantas ' premiumeconom y clas s seats . Thi s materia

l show s tha

t th e passenger

doe s not hav e t o b e lifte

d ove r th e aisl e armrest . Base d o n th e informatio n submitte d b y Qantas , th e Department i s grantin g Qantas ' equivalen t alternativ e determinatio n reques t fo r sectio n 382.6 1 fo

r it s premiumeconom

y clas s i n it s Airbu s A38 0 aircraf

t wit h th e followin g conditions : (1 ) Thi s approva

l i s limite d t o th e premiumeconom y clas s seat s i

n Qantas ' Airbu s A38 0 aircraf t wit h th e configuratio n an

d dimension s provide d i

n th e carrier' s Jul y 9 , 2010 , equivalent alternativ e determinatio n request . Qanta s mus t obtai n th e Department' s prio r approva l fo r an y sea t configuratio n change s and/o r sea t dimensio n change s t o be made o

n an y aircraf t tha t i s subjec t to thi s approval
. I

f Qanta s implement s sea

t configuratio n and/o r

sea t dimensio n change s withou t prio r approva l o f th e Department , i

t risk s bein g i

n violatio n o f

sectio n 382.61 ; (2 ) Qanta s mus t

provide , o r

ensur e th e provisio n of

, specialize d trainin g t o it s employee s an d contractors , a s wel

l a s the employee s an

d contractor s o f

an y othe r entit y tha t will b e transferrin g person s wit h amobilit

y impairment

t o o r fro mth e premiumeconom

y clas s i n it s Airbu s A38 0 aircraft
. Th e specialize d trainin g mus t ensure trainin g t o proficienc y i

n ho w t o properly transfe r apassenger

t o an d fro mQantas ' premium econom y clas s seats . Such trainin g must als o cover , a

t aminimum : (A ) th e proper us e o f al l item s neede d to transfe

r apassenger

t o an d fro mth e premiumeconom

y clas s seat s (fig , transfe

r boar d an d sling/harness) ; (B ) th e numbe r o f person s needed t o perfor mth e transfer ; (C ) ho w to properly operat e th e premiumeconom y clas s seat s (e.g. , locatio n an

d us e o f contro l buttons) ; an

d (D ) ho w t o transfe

r apassenger t o an d fro mth e premiumeconom

y clas s seat s i

n asaf e an d dignifie d manner ; an

d (3 ) Qanta s mus t

also : (A ) provide , or

ensur e th e provisio n of

, annua l refreshe r training ; (B ) retain fo

r thre e year s individuals ' trainin g record s demonstratin g tha t al l person s require d t o receiv e initia

l an d refreshe r trainin g hav e don e so ; an d (C ) withi n 3 0 day s afte r eac h calenda r quarter , fo

r aperio d of

thre e years , provid e th e Enforcemen t OtTic e wit h copie s o f

all complaints , if

any , regardin g passenger transfer s t o an

d fro mtheir premiumeconom

y clas s seat s i

n th e covere d aircraft
.I

f yo u hav e an y question s abou t

thi s matter , pleas e contac t Michael Hallock

or Ki mGraber of m y staff , or me , a t (202 ) 366-9342 . Yo

u ma y als o reach u s b

y FA X at-(202 ) 366-7152 . Sincerely , Samue l Podberesk

y Assistan t Genera l Counsel fo

r Aviatio n Enforcemen

t an d Proceeding s