Southwest Airlines' Withdrawal of Petition for Relief from 14 CFR 121.436(d)

Robert Burke

AFS-210, Air Carrier Training to: Jeanine Persons 08/19/2013 05:07 PM

Cc: Keira Jones

FYI, this should be in the docket.

Rob

Robert H. Burke | Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Standards | Air Transportation Division | Air Carrier Training Branch, AFS-210
800 Independence Ave, SW | Washington, DC 20591

 Office: 202.267.8262 |  Cell: 954.881.0013

 E-mail: robert

. burke @ faa

. gov
----- Forwarded by Robert Burke/AWA/FAA on 08/19/2013 05:03 PM -----

From: Leslie Abbott <Leslie.Abbott@wnco.com>

AFS-210, Air Carrier Training

To: John Allen/AWA/FAA@FAA, Robert Burke/AWA/FAA@FAA,

Cc: Joe Marott <Joe.Marott@wnco.com>

Date: 08/19/2013 04:35 PM
Subject: Southwest Airlines' Withdrawal of Petition for Relief from 14 CFR 121.436(d)

Gentlemen

–

Good afternoon. Please see Southwest Airlines’ withdrawal of its Petition for Relief from 14 CFR

121.436(d) that was filed in Docket No. FAA

‐ 2010

‐ 0100 earlier today.

Thank you both for your assistance with our request.

Leslie

Leslie C. Abbott

Senior Attorney

Southwest Airlines Co.

1901 L Street

, NW

, Suite 640
Washington

, DC 20036

202.263.6285 ( p hone )

202.263.6291 ( f

ax

)

******* CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE *******

This e-mail message and all attachments transmitted with it may contain legally privileged

and confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee. If the reader of

this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any reading,SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

Leslie C. Abbott

Senior Attorney

1901 L Street, N.W., Suite 640

Washington, D.C. 20036

(202) 263

- 6285

(202) 263

- 6291

- Fax

leslie.abbott @wnco.com

_______________________________________________ _____________________________

August 19 , 2013

VIA EMAIL

John M. Allen
Director, Flight Standards Service

Federal Aviation Administration

AFS

- 1, Flight Standards Service, Room 821

800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20591
john.allen@faa.gov

FILED ELECTRONICALLY

U.S. Departmen t o f Transportation

Docket M anagemen t Sy stem

1200 N ew J ersey Avenue

R oo m W12

- 140
Washington, DC, 20590

Re: Withdrawal of Petition for Relief from 14 CFR § 121.436( d ) ; Pilot
Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier

Operations; Docket No. FAA

- 2010

- 0100

Dear Sir:

On July 23, 2013, Southwest Airl ines Co. (“Southwest”) filed a P etition with
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in this docket requesting limit ed relief from

the Final Rule FAA enacted on July 15, 2013 entitled Pilot Certification and

Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations

. 1 Among other things, the

Final Rule requires that second

- in

- command (SIC) pilots hold an airline transport

pilot certificate with an airplane type rating for the aircraft being flown

.

In recognition of the burden that these new requirements place on airline pilot

training resources

, the Final Rule extend s the compliance date “for those pilots who

are employed as second in command in part 121 operations on July 31, 2013” from

August 1, 2013 until January 1, 2016. Southwest’s P etition requested the same
extended compliance period for its pilots currently employed in pilot

- in

- command
(PIC) positions that will be transitioning to second

- in

- command positions on different

aircraft during 2014

. Because Southwest has approximately 350 AirTran Boeing

1 The full text of the Final Rule can be found at 78 Fed. Reg. 42324 (July 15, 2013)

.Withdrawal of Petition for Relief from 14 CFR 121.436(d)

August 19, 2013

Page 2

717 PICs that will be transitioning to Boeing 737 SIC positions that do not possess a

Boeing 737 type rating

, this relief would provide the Company with additional time to

train and type rate these pil ots, thereby contributing to a smooth transition process

and full compliance with the new Final Rule requirements.

Since the filing of its Petition, Southwest has had subsequent discussions

with the FAA and the Southwest Certificate Management Office ( CMO) in particular.

Southwest has been reassured that the FAA will work in partnership with Southwest

and will be able to provide the support, expertise and assistance that Southwest

needs to meet the addition al type

- rating requirements for its PICs transitioning to

SIC positions in the timeframe necessary to support its operations . Based on these
assurances, Southwest hereby withdraws its Petition.

Respectfully submitted,

___________________ Leslie C. Abbott

cc: Robert Burke (FAA)