UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation on January 27, 2012



### NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN

-- DOCKET DOT

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_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken by the Department official indicated (no additional confirming order will be issued in this matter).

Applicant : 

### Aviation Safety & Security Consultants, Ltd.

, d/b/a Butler’s Aviation (Butler’s Aviation)

Date Filed: December 7, 2011

Relief requested: Exemption from 49 U.S.C. § 41301 to engage in charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between a point or points in the Bahamas and a point or points in Florida, and other charters in accordance with 14 CFR Part 212 of the Department’s rules, using small ai rcraft. 1

If renewal, date and citation of last action: New Authority

Applicant representative: Pierre Murphy (202) 776

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DOT Analyst: Shelita A. Johnson (202) 366

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Responsive pleadings: None filed

DISPOSITION

Action: Approved Action date : January 27, 2012

Effective dates of exemption authority granted: January 27, 2012

– January 27, 2013

Basis for approval (bilateral agreement/reciprocity) : Reciprocity with the Bahamas.

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations indicated:

X Standard exemption conditions (attached) Foreign air carrier permit ( Order )

Special conditions/Remarks: Based on the record in this case, we found that Butler’s Aviation is financially and operationally qualified to perform the services authorized above. 2 In addition, we found that Butler’s Aviation is substantially own ed and effectively controlled by citizens of the Bahamas. 3 We also note that the applicant is properly licensed by its homeland to perform the proposed services. Furthermore, on January 19, 2012, the FAA advised us that it knew of no reason why we should act unfavorably on the applicant’s request

.

The authority granted to Butler’s Aviation above is limited to operations involving aircraft designed to have a maximum passenger capacity of not more t han 60 seats and a maximum payload capacity of not more than 18,000 pounds

. 4

1 On December 7, 2011, the applicant contemporaneously filed a foreign air carrier permit application in Docket DOT

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- 0227 and incorporated by reference information and documentation submitted in the context of that application as support for its instant request. We will act separate ly on its permit request.

2 The applicant has requested confidential treatment of its financial submissions , under the provisions of 14 CFR §30 2 .12. Good cause having been shown, we will grant this request.

3 The record indicates that the applicant is 99. 98% owned by Capt. Randy L. Butler with the remaining 0. 0 2% owned by Larona

Miller Butler

, both of whom are citizens of the Bahamas. The applicant’s President and all of its key management personnel are also

citizens of the Bahamas.

4 The applicant specif ically states that it is applying to provide the service requested using small aircraft.Action taken by: Paul L. Gretch, Director

Office of International Aviation

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Under authority assigned by the Department in its regulations, 14 CFR Part 385, we found that (1) the applicant is qualified to perform the proposed operation s; (2) our action was consistent with Department policy; (3) grant of the authority was consistent with the public interest; and (4) grant of the authority would not constitute a major regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. To the extent not granted/deferred/dismissed, we denied all requests in the referenced Docket. We may amend, modify, or revoke the authority granted in this Notice at any time without hearing at our discretion.

Persons entitled to petition the Departm ent for review of the action set forth in this Notice under the Department’s regulations, 14 CFR § 385.30, may file their petitions within seven (7) days after the date of issuance of this Notice. This action was effective when taken, and the filing of a petition for review will not alter such effectiveness.

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.regulations.gov12/2007 Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier applicant(s) shall:

(1) Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective authorization from its homeland for such operations, and it has filed a copy of such authorization with the Department;

( 2) Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, including, but not limited to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, a nd 36 and 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as applicable. To assure compliance with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, the holder shall, before commencing any new service (including charter flights) from a foreign airport that would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States, contact its International Industry Representative (IIR) (formerly referred to as International Principal Security Inspector) to advise the IIR of its plans and to find out whether the Transport ation Security Administration has determined that security is adequate to allow such airport(s) to be served;

(3) Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage contained in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the commencement of any operations u nder this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the form of a completed OST Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Program Management Branch (AFS

- 260), Flight Standards Service (any changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be filed with that office);

(4) Not operate aircraft under this authority unless it complies with operational safety requirements at least equivalent to Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention;

(5) Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirem ents of its Government for international air services;

(6) Except as specifically exempted or otherwise provided for in a Department Order, comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 203, concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defen ses;

(7) Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 1605(a), but only with respect to those actions or proceedings instituted against it in any

court or other tribunal in the United States that are: (a) based on its operations in international air transportation that, according to the contract of carriage, include a point in the United States as a point of origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for which the cont ract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or (b) based on a claim under any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any court or other tribunal of the United States. In this condition, the term "international air transportation" means "international transportation" as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except that all States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the purpose of this definition;

(8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or termin ate all flights to/from the United States in its homeland;

(9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and charter data;

(10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provide d in the applicable aviation agreement, comply with the Department's rules governing charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380);

and

(11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations required by the public interest as may be pre scribed by the Department, with all applicable orders or regulations of other U.S. agencies and courts, and with all applicable laws of the United States.

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with th e conditions imposed above. Moreover, this authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit Department approval under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.