AFS-11-380-E 

August 17, 2011 

 Exemption No. 10332 

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2011-0736 

Mr. Stephen M. Dickson 

Senior Vice President – Flight Operations 

Delta Air Lines 

1013 Delta Boulevard, Department 020 

Atlanta, GA 30320 

Dear Mr. Dickson: 

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to combine Exemption 

Nos. 8575 and 9962, as amended. It explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, 

and lists the revised conditions and limitations. 

The Basis for Our Decision 

By letter dated June 22, 2011, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 

behalf of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (Delta), for the combination of Exemption Nos. 8575 and 

9962, as amended. Those exemptions from § 121.619 of Title 14, Code of Federal 

Regulations allows Delta, its certificated dispatchers, and its pilots in command (PICs) to 

dispatch aircraft to domestic airports without designating an alternate for the destination 

airport where for at least 1 hour before and 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival at the 

destination airport the appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, 

indicate the ceiling will be at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation and visibility will be 

at least 3 statute miles for airports utilizing Category (CAT) I authorizations or the visibility 

will be at least 2 statute miles for airports utilizing CAT II or CAT III authorizations. 

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons 

relative to public interest and safety that were the basis for granting the original exemptions. 

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 exemptions would not set a 

precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Delta. 
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Our Decision 

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption Nos. 8575 and 

9962, 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. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, I grant your petition. The substance of the two previous 

exemptions is combined into this new exemption and subject to the following conditions and 

limitations. 

Conditions and Limitations

1. Before conducting operations under this exemption, Delta must obtain appropriate 

amended Operations Specifications (OpSpecs) that provide for operations under this 

exemption. 

2. Operations under this exemption are limited to only those destination airports in the 

contiguous United States. 

3. Operations under this exemption must use a current and qualified aircraft dispatcher. 

4. Operations under this exemption are limited to only those airports at which an 

operable instrument landing system (ILS) procedure is published. Alternate minimums 

are predicated on the following table: 

Alternate Minimums (Ceiling and Visibility Required) 

Operable ILS Ceiling Required Visibility Required 

Category I 1,000 feet above 

ground level (AGL) 

3 statute miles 

Category II 1,000 feet AGL 2 statute miles 

Category III 1,000 feet AGL 2 statute miles 

5. Before conducting operations under this exemption, Delta must demonstrate to the 

satisfaction of the FAA principal operations inspector (POI) assigned to the Delta 

Air Lines Certificate Management Office that: 
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a. Each Delta dispatcher has a system available to display the location of each 

flight within 3 minutes of real time. 

b. Each Delta dispatch facility has a system that provides its dispatchers with 

overlays of weather returns updated at least once every 5 minutes. 

c. Each Delta dispatch facility has a system that provides its dispatchers with a 

display of the specific aircraft routing as assigned by air traffic control 

(ATC) 

and actual filed flight plan routing. 

d. Each Delta dispatcher has a system available to display locations of other 

airborne aircraft including aircraft of other operators. 

e. Each Delta dispatch facility has a system available that provides its 

dispatchers with a display of planned and actual fuel at regular intervals 

along the route and the difference between planned and actual fuel. 

f. Each Delta dispatch facility has a system available that automatically alerts 

its 

dispatchers to special weather updates, changes in weather reports, forecasts 

and/or other significant weather-related reports, and ensures that these can be 

relayed to flightcrews in an expeditious manner. 

g. Each Delta dispatcher is provided the capability to access the services of a 

qualified meteorologist approved by the POI whenever the dispatcher 

believes that consultation is necessary to ensure safety of operations under 

this exemption. The presence of an approved Enhanced Weather 

Information/System program satisfies this requirement. 

 h. The dispatch release will contain a statement for each flight dispatched under 

this exemption such as “ALTERNATE WEATHER EXEMPTION 

APPLIED. REFERENCE (APPROPRIATE DOCUMENT SUCH AS 

FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANUAL, GENERAL OPERATONS MANUAL, 

ETC.)” The certificate holder may choose to use other wording, if desired, 

but the meaning must be clear. 

 

6. Delta must maintain at least CAT II approach authorization, OpSpec C059, for 

those fleets to which this exemption applies, and each aircraft must have fully 

operating equipment needed for CAT II ILS approaches for that aircraft to operate 

under this exemption. 
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7. At the time of dispatch, the flightcrew must be qualified to conduct at least a CAT 

II approach. PICs with less than the requisite minimum hours specified in 14 CFR 

§ 121. 652 cannot be used in operations under this exemption unless the operator 

also holds Exemption No. 5549, the PIC has been trained in accordance with the 

requirements of that exemption, and all of the conditions specified by Exemption 

No. 5549 are met. 

8. Operations are not permitted under this exemption at any airport at which 

thunderstorms are reported or forecast from 1 hour before through 1 hour after the 

estimated arrival time if such reports or forecasts are in either or both the main 

body or the remarks section of the weather report or the weather forecast. 

Furthermore, Delta cannot use Exemption No. 3585 (as amended) issued to Air 

Transport Association of America, Inc., members (including Delta) or any 

subsequent exemption granting similar relief regarding any kind of forecast of 

thunderstorms at the destination airport in conjunction with any operation 

conducted under this exemption. 

9. Each certificated Delta dispatcher and PIC, who conducts operations under this 

exemption, must be provided with a copy of pertinent parts of this exemption. 

Operations under this exemption are permitted by Delta dispatchers and Delta 

PICs but are not required. 

 

10. Use of this exemption in operations to destinations outside the contiguous 

United States is prohibited. Delta is authorized to use this exemption in operations 

to airports within the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia from 

airports outside those boundaries provided Delta also holds OpSpecA012 and 

operations are conducted in accordance with the appropriate provisions of that 

OpSpec as they pertain to operations from airports listed in Table I thereof. 

11. Delta must provide the Administrator, by the 15th day of each month, reports that 

include the information listed below, during the preceding calendar month. The 

POI is authorized to delete this reporting requirement once Delta has conducted 

operations under this exemption satisfactorily for at least 24 continuous calendar 

months and sufficient data to thoroughly evaluate operational performance have 

been obtained. Reports must contain the following information: 

a. The total number of flights operated by Delta under domestic rules to 

 destinations within the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia; 
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b. The total number of flights operated under this exemption, including those 

flights conducted under the appropriate provisions and limitations of 

OpSpec A012. For each flight operated, the dates, airport pairs, flight 

numbers, aircraft make, model, and serial number, trended or graphical 

summary of flight planned fuel vs. actual arrival fuel, and contingency fuel 

must be listed. Report format shall be in chronological order by fleet type; 

 c. The total number of flights that divert to an alternate airport; 

d. The total number of flights that divert to an alternate airport that are 

separated under this exemption, and the reason for each diversion, such as 

weather conditions, mechanical problem, fuel quantity, passenger problem, 

air traffic, crewmember, or any other reason. Delta must fully document 

each diversion; and 

e. The total number of Delta flights, operated under this exemption, that 

declare an emergency and the reason for such declaration, or during which 

flight a low fuel state occurs that results in actions being taken by ATC 

and/or dispatch to provide priority handling, even if no emergency is 

declared. 

The exemption terminates on November 30, 2013, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ 

John W. McGraw 

Acting Director, Flight Standards 

 Service