March 19, 2013

U.S. Department of Transportation

Docket Management System

West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE. 

Washington, DC 20590

Re: Exemption No. 3585, As Amended; Docket No. FAA-2001-9379

Ladies/Gentlemen:

In accordance with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 11.61, the Air 

Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA), dba Airlines for America, on behalf of its 

member airlines1petitions the Administrator for an extension of Exemption No. 3585R 

(Docket No. FAA-2001-9379). This exemption is scheduled to expire on May 31, 2013.

Exemption 3585 provides relief, under certain conditions and limitations, from 14 CFR §§ 

121.613, 121.619(a), and 121.625 to the extent necessary to: (1) dispatch an airplane, under 

IFR, to a destination airport; and (2) list an alternate airport for that destination airport when 

the Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for either one or both of those airports indicates by the use of 

conditional language such as “BECMG,” “PROB,” or “TEMPO,” in the TAF that the 

weather could be below authorized weather minimums at the time of arrival. Dispatch 

under these circumstances is permitted if the information contained in the main body of the 

TAF used by the certificate holder’s dispatch center shows, for each flight to be dispatched, 

that the weather at the destination airport and alternate airport listed in the dispatch release 

will be at or above authorized weather minimums at the time of arrival.

This exemption has been used to the benefit of the traveling public for more than twentyone years, with no known compromise of safety. With regard to public interest and 

equivalent levels of safety, the circumstances that warranted the initial grant of 

exemption continue to exist. 

1 Airline Members: Alaska Airlines, Inc., American Airlines, Inc., Atlas Air, Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., 

Federal Express Corporation, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp., Southwest Airlines Co., 

United Continental Holdings, United Parcel Service Co., US Airways, Inc.

 Associate Member: Air Canada

 
U.S. Department of Transportation

Docket Management System

Docket No. FAA-2001-9379

March 19, 2013

Page Two

The renewal of this exemption is not a controversial issue. For this reason, and the reasons 

stated above, ATA requests that a finding of good cause be made for waiving publication in 

the Federal Register. Granting the requested relief will set no precedents. The existence of 

the exemption is well known and widely accepted.

A summary of this petition as required by 14 CFR §11.81 is attached. 

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call me at (202) 626-

4012.

Very truly yours, 

AIRLINES FOR AMERICA

By: __________________________ 

Paul W. Railsback

Director - Operations

1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Suite 1100

Washington, DC 20004 

(202) 626-4012

prailsback@airlines.org

Attachment
U.S. Department of Transportation

Docket Management System

Docket No. FAA-2001-9379

March 19, 2013

Attachment

SUMMARY OF ATA PETITION

The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), dba Airlines for America, requests an 

extension of Exemption 3585 to provide continued regulatory relief from 14 CFR 

§§121.613, 121.619(a), and 121.625, dispatch requirements triggered by conditional 

weather forecasts.