# BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

for a frequency allocation

(Detroit-Sao Paulo, Brazil) )

)

)

)

)

)

) Docket DOT-OST-2010-

APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to:

Glen Hauenstein

Executive Vice President –

Network Planning and Revenue Management

Robert J. Cortelyou

Senior Vice President – Network Planning

Andreas Renner

Director – International Network Planning

Chris Kennedy

General Manager – International

Network Analysis

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

1030 Delta Boulevard

Atlanta, Georgia 30320 Andrea Fischer Newman

Senior Vice President – Government Affairs

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

1212 New York Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005

Alexander Van der Bellen

Managing Director – Government Affairs

& Associate General Counsel

Jeff Morgan

Regional Director – Government Affairs

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

1212 New York Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005

(202) 842-4184

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

April 8, 2010

# BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Application of

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

for a frequency allocation

(Detroit-Sao Paulo, Brazil) )

)

)

)

)

)

) Docket DOT-OST-2010-

APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) hereby applies for an allocation of five

(5) frequencies to support daily nonstop Detroi t-Sao Paulo service. Separately, Delta

has applied for exemption authority to provide Detroit-Sao Paulo service, and plans to

operate that service at a level of two weekly flights beginning on November 4, 2010

using its existing frequency allocation. Increasing Detroit-Sao Paulo from two to seven

flights a week would provide superior public benefits to any alternative use of the

frequencies.

The Available Frequencies Should Be Allocated to Their

Highest and Best Long-Term Use.

Delta recognizes that the frequencies at issue may not be used for Sao Paulo

service until infrastructure-related constrains at the airport are removed. Importantly,

however, the frequencies are, by their terms, ultimately usable at Sao Paulo -- and Delta

believes that the long-term allocation of these frequencies should take that highest and

best use into account. Delta is confident that airport infrastructure constraints at Sao

Paulo will be addressed, and the frequencies should not be permanently consigned to

sub-optimal use when they can support Sao Paulo flights for which there is a strong

public interest need. This is especially important if the Government of Brazil is reluctant

to negotiate new unrestricted rights for U.S. carriers to serve Sao Paulo in the future.

# Application of Delta

Page 2

Delta requests that five frequencies be allocated for Detroit-Sao Paulo service,

with a start-up condition that requires Delta to commence service within 90 days of

Brazil’s announcement that airport infrastructure constraints at Guarulhos Airport have

been lifted. 1 

# Delta would not object to the interim use by another carrier for service to

secondary markets in Brazil, provided the frequencies remain available for recall on the

Detroit-Sao Paulo route. Such a condition is unlikely to result in any disruption to any

newly established service – since Brazil has been liberal in agreeing to additional

frequencies for tertiary markets.

Delta’s Detroit-Sao Paulo Service Will Maximize Public

Benefits.

Detroit and Sao Paulo are each major industrial-manufacturing centers with

strong communities of interest and a significant demand for nonstop service. Detroit will

provide strong and effective intergateway competition to United at Chicago. Delta and

its regional affiliates operate more than 575 peak day departures from the hub and will

provide nonstop-to-nonstop service for nearly 100 U.S. cities. DL-101. Delta’s DetroitSao Paulo service will create significant public benefits, facilitating trade, investment,

and tourism between the U.S. and Brazil.

Service Proposal.

As noted above, Delta plans to commence Detroit-Sao Paulo service at a level of

two weekly frequencies using its existing allocation. Delta would use the five additional

frequencies requested in this case to increas e operations to daily, nonstop, year-round,

service as soon as airport infrastructure constraints are lifted. Delta will utilize 216-

1 

# Delta has entered into a transaction with US Airways, which involves, inter alia, the

mutual transfer of LGA and DCA slots and U.S.-Brazil frequencies. In Docket OST2009-0197, Delta and US Airways propose the contingent transfer of Delta’s Atlanta-Rio

de Janeiro frequencies, and US Airways’ Charlotte-Rio de Janeiro frequencies, which

would create new opportunities usable at Sao Paulo. If that transaction is not

consummated, Delta requests the allocation of five frequencies for Atlanta-Rio de

Janeiro service, which would free Delta’s unrestricted Atlanta-Rio de Janeiro frequencies

for use on the Detroit-Sao Paulo route (while maintaining daily Atlanta-Rio de Janeiro

service).

# Application of Delta

Page 3

seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, equipped with 35 BusinessElite and 181 economy class

seats.

Delta's proposed nonstop service schedule, operating statistics, and aircraft

information are set forth in the attached exhibits.

WHEREFORE, Delta requests an allocation of five (5) frequencies to support

daily nonstop Detroit-Sao Paulo service as described above.

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________ Alexander Van der Bellen

Managing Director, Government Affairs

& Associate General Counsel

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.TULTULTULTo HNLTo HNLTo HNLTo HNLTo HNLTo HNLTo ANCTo ANCTo ANCBMIBMIBMIMDWORDORDORDPIAPIAPIAPIACIDCIDCIDEWREWREWRHPNHPNHPNLGALGALGAJFKJFKJFKSWFSWFSWFSWFSWFSWFBGMBGMBDLBDLBDLMHTMHTMHTMDTMDTMDTSCESCESCEDCADCADCAIADIADIADIADITHITHITHITHSYRSYRSYRELMELMROCROCROCALBALBALBMSNMSNMSNFNTFNTFNTMBSMBSMBSGRRGRRGRRCLECLECLEGRBGRBGRBCWACWACWAESCESCESCMQTMQTMQTSDFSDFSDFEVVEVVEVVDLHDLHDLHMSPMSPMSPDSMDSMOMAOMAOMAFSDFSDFSDRSTRSTRSTSFOSFOSFOLAXLAXLAXABEABEABEAPNAPNAPNATWAVPAVPAVPAZOAZOAZOBGRBGRBGRBOSBOSBOSBTVBTVBTVBUFBUFBUFBWIBWIBWIBZNBZNBZNCAKCAKCAKCHOCHOCHOCIUCIUCIUCIUCMHCMHCMHCMICMICMICRWCVGCVGCVGDAYDAYDAYDENDENDENERIERIERIERIFWAFWAFWAICTICTICTICTINDINDINDINDLANLANLANLASLASLASLEXLEXLEXLSELSELSEMCIMCIMCIMKEMKEMKEMLIMLIMLIORFORFORFPDXPDXPDXPHLPHLPHLPHXPHXPHXPITPITPITPITPLNPLNPLNPVDPVDPVDPWMPWMPWMPWMRICRICRICRICROAROAROASANSANSANSBNSBNSBNSEASEASEASGFSGFSGFSLCSLCSLCSMFSMFSMFSNASNASNASTLSTLSTLTOLTOLTOLTVCTVCTVCXNAXNAXNASao PauloSource: July 2010 schedulesDTWExhibit DL-101Page 1 of 1Delta’s Detroit-Sao Paulo Service Will Establish a MajorNew Hub Gateway for the Midwest RegionEWREWRLAXLAXORDORDMIAMIAMIAMIAMCOMCOATLATLCLTCLTIAHIAHIAHIAHDFWJFKJFKIADIADIADIADDelta’s Detroit-Sao Paulo Service Gives the UnderservedMidwest Region A Second U.S. Gateway to BrazilDTWExhibit DL-102Page 1 of 1Existing Brazil GatewayDelta’s Detroit – Sao Paulo Nonstop ScheduleProposal – Northern Hemisphere Winter SeasonDL 205DailyBoeing 767-300ERFlight NumberFrequencyEquipmentDL 204DailyBoeing 767-300ER1745071510:300715233010:45Detroit (DTW)Sao Paulo (GRU)Elapsed Time+1+1GMT (-5)GMT (-2)Note: All times are local. Schedule includes 2 weekly flightsthat Delta will operate using existing U.S.-Brazil unrestricted frequencies. These 2 weekly flights willoperate southbound on Sunday and Thursday and northbound on Monday and Friday.Exhibit DL-103Page 1 of 2Delta’s Detroit – Sao Paulo Nonstop ScheduleProposal – Northern Hemisphere Summer SeasonDL 205DailyBoeing 767-300ERFlight NumberFrequencyEquipmentDL 204DailyBoeing 767-300ER1745050510:200705213010:35Detroit (DTW)Sao Paulo (GRU)Elapsed Time+1+1GMT (-4)GMT (-3)Exhibit DL-103Page 2 of 2Note: All times are local. Schedule includes 2 weekly flightsthat Delta will operate using existing U.S.-Brazil unrestricted frequencies. These 2 weekly flights willoperate southbound on Sunday and Thursday and northbound on Monday and Friday.Annual Operating StatisticsDelta’s Detroit – Sao Paulo Nonstop Service ProposalAircraftDeparturesSegment Miles (sm)Plane Miles (sm)ASMsFuel Burn (gallons/hour)Fuel Consumption (millions of gallons)Boeing 767-300ER7305,1053,726,650804,956,4001,65812.9Statement on fuel availability: Delta anticipates no difficultyin obtaining fuelfrom its current suppliers at Detroit and Sao Paulo.BusinessElite ClassEconomy ClassTotal35181216Seating ConfigurationNote: Statistics include 2 weekly flights that Delta will operate using existing U.S.-Brazil unrestricted frequencies.Exhibit DL-104Page 1 of 1Aircraft Statement•Delta will use aircraft on hand fromamong the 55 Boeing 767-300ER aircraftits fleet. These aircraft are in widespread use throughout Delta’s internationalnetwork. All of Delta’s aircraft are FAR 36 compliant.Exhibit DL-105Page 1 of 1

# CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

A copy of the foregoing Application has been served this 8 th 

# day of April, 2010, upon

the following persons via email:

carl.nelson@aa.com

howard_kass@usairways.com

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com

hkamen@coair.com

dan.weiss@coair.com

rbkeiner@crowell.com (for Continental)

mrosia@crowell.com (for Continental)

jeffrey.manley@united.com

julie.oettinger@united.com

robert.land@jetblue.com

jhill@dlalaw.com (for JetBlue)

dkirstein@yklaw.com (for Spirit)

jyoung@yklaw.com (for Spirit)

paul.gretch@dot.gov

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov

brian.hedberg@dot.gov

byerlyjr@state.gov

john.allen@faa.gov

lester.robinson@wcaa.us

emily.neuberger@wcaa.us

joe.cambron@wcaa.us

mike.orr@airlineinfo.com