BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

_________________________________________

) 

Application of ) 

) 

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC ) 

) Docket OST-2014-

for an emergency exemption pursuant to ) 

49 U.S.C. § 40109(g) ) 

) 

) 

Huntsville, AL – Vandenberg AFB, CA ) 

_________________________________________ ) 

APPLICATION OF

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC

FOR AN EMERGENCY EXEMPTION

Communication with respect to this document should be addressed to: 

Alexey I. Isaikin Artem Tarasenko

Chairman Operations Manager

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC Volga Dnepr-Unique Air Cargo, Inc.

14 Karbysheva Street 9400 Grogan’s Mill Road,

Ulyanovsk 432072 Town Center Plaza, Suite 220,

Russia The Woodlands, TX 77381, USA

(832) 585-8611

DATED: September 2, 2014

NOTICE: THIS APPLICATION IS FILED PURSUANT TO THE EMERGENCY 

EXEMPTION PROCEDURES OF 14 C.F.R. § 302.410, WHICH AUTHORIZE THE 

DEPARTMENT TO ACT ON EMERGENCY EXEMPTIONS IMMEDIATELY. ANY 

PERSON INTERESTED IN FILING AN ANSWER IS REQUESTED TO DO SO IN THE 

ABOVE DOCKET IMMEDIATELY. COPIES OF THE SUBMISSION SHOULD BE 

SERVED ON THE PERSONS LISTED ABOVE AND ON THE ATTACHED SERVICE LIST. 
BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

_________________________________________

) 

Application of ) 

) 

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC ) 

) Docket OST-2014-

for an emergency exemption pursuant to ) 

49 U.S.C. § 40109(g) ) 

) 

) 

Huntsville, AL – Vandenberg AFB, CA ) 

_________________________________________ ) 

APPLICATION OF

VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC

FOR AN EMERGENCY EXEMPTION

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC (“Volga-Dnepr Airlines” or "Volga-Dnepr") respectfully 

requests an emergency exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. §§ 40109(g) and 41703(c), 

and otherwise applicable provisions of the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) regulations, 

so as to permit Volga-Dnepr to operate two (2) one-way all-cargo charter flights, utilizing VolgaDnepr’s AN-124-100 aircraft to transport outsized cargo from Huntsville, Alabama to 

Vandenberg AFB, California on or around September 9–24, 2014, on behalf of United Launch 

Alliance.

The outsize cargo to be transported by Volga-Dnepr consists of the Atlas V Booster tank, 

measuring (L-1431" x W-151" x H-168"), weighing approx. 65,000 pounds with support 

equipment, and the Atlas Centaur III tank, measuring (L-558" x W-142" x H-142"), weighing 

approx. 40,000 pounds. As described, the payload is outsized and cannot be accommodated by 

domestic commercial carrier aircraft.
In support of its application, Volga-Dnepr states as follows:

1. Volga-Dnepr is a foreign air carrier holding appropriate DOT authority to conduct allcargo charter foreign air transportation between a point or points in Russia and a point or points 

in the United States, and all-cargo charter transportation between the United Sates and third 

countries pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 212.

2. Volga-Dnepr will operate the flights on behalf of United Launch Alliance as part of an 

effort to provide urgently needed lift to leave Huntsville not later than the set dates. United 

Launch Alliance is shipping the Atlas V Booster tank and the Atlas Centaur III tank to complete 

aggressive launch schedules, while only the use of Volga-Dnepr's outsized aircraft can make it 

possible to perform the services in question within the set schedule.

3. Due to the extreme size, the delicate nature of the cargo and its extremely high value, 

United Launch Alliance cannot use surface transportation to ship the payload. A technical 

evaluation conducted by Lockheed Martin determined that over-the-road transportation would 

place the cargo in conditions that are incompatible with maintaining system integrity 

compliance.

4. Given the tight schedules associated with the mission integration and launch activities, 

Volga-Dnepr must perform the operations not later than within the set dates. Volga-Dnepr is 

polling all U.S. certificated air carriers on the attached service list and will inform the 

Department of the results of that poll.

5. Under 49 U.S.C. § 40109(g), the Department may authorize a foreign air carrier to 

transport commercial traffic between U.S. points under limited circumstances. Specifically, the 

Department must find that the authority is required in the public interest; that because of an 

emergency created by unusual circumstances not arising in the normal course of business the 

traffic cannot be accommodated by U.S. carriers holding certificates under 49 U.S.C. § 41102; 

that all possible efforts have been made to accommodate the traffic on U.S. certificated air 

carriers; and that the exemption is necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship for the traffic. This 
application is consistent with the public interest and meets all of the relevant criteria under 49 

U.S.C. § 40109(g) for the grant of an exemption.

6. Grant of this application is in the public interest. Timely shipment of the cargo is 

imperative to avoid substantial delay in Lockheed Martin’s mission integration and launch 

schedules.

7. In this instance, an emergency created by unusual circumstances not arising in the 

normal course of business exists as a result of the size of the cargo, as well as the exigent 

circumstances surrounding the impossibility to use any other mode of transportation, and the 

lack of availability of U.S. commercial aircraft of the nature of the AN-124-100 operated by 

Volga-Dnepr Airlines. As a result, the best way to resolve this emergency is for the AN-124-100 

aircraft to transport the cargo in question.

8. As previously stated, no U.S. carrier operates aircraft that are able to transport this 

cargo. Indeed, there is no viable transportation option by any commercially available means 

other than Volga-Dnepr's aircraft.

9. Grant of this exemption application is necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship for the 

traffic at issue.

10. Volga-Dnepr’s fitness and ability to carry out the proposed transportation has been 

amply demonstrated through its conduct of numerous cargo charter operations on behalf of 

United Launch Alliance in and out of the United States and throughout the world.

11. Grant of this application is consistent with Department precedent. Foreign air carriers 

have been granted emergency exemption authority to carry cargo between U.S. points when an 

emergency existed as a result of unusual circumstances not arising in the normal course of 

business. See, e.g., Orders 96-6-31, 96-4-29, 95-11-35, 95-2-35, 94-11-6 and 94-4-14, as well as 

Notices of Action Taken in dockets OST-04-17906, OST-07-26806, OST-07-27125, OST-07-

28857, OST-08-0003, and OST-09-0041.
12. In light of the exigent circumstances, Volga-Dnepr requests expeditious processing 

and the immediate grant of this emergency exemption application. The Department’s Procedural 

Regulations provide that the Department can act on an emergency exemption application 

immediately. Designated agent for Volga-Dnepr will promptly advise the Department of the 

responses of the interested U.S. carriers to the telephone poll regarding this application.
WHEREFORE, Volga-Dnepr respectfully requests that the Department issue an 

emergency exemption permitting it to operate two (2) one-way cargo charter flights, utilizing 

Volga-Dnepr’s AN-124-100 aircraft, to transport cargo from Huntsville, Alabama to Vandenberg 

AFB, California on or around September 9–24, 2014, as described herein, and grant such further 

relief as the Department deems to be consistent with the public interest.

Respectfully submitted, 

_______________________________________ 

Artem Tarasenko

Designated agent for Volga-Dnepr Airlines

(832) 585-8611

Dated: September 2, 2014
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that I have on this day served a copy of the foregoing document upon all 

persons named on the attached service list via electronic mail.

Artem Tarasenko

Dated: September 2, 2014
Service List

Robert P. Silverberg

Jeff Johnson

Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, LLP

Suite 120

1101 30th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20007

For ABX AIR

Telephone: 202-944-3300

Fax: 202-944-3306

rsilverberg@sgbdc.com

jjohnson@sgbdc.com

Marshall Sinick

Squire, Sanders & Demsey

1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20004

For ALASKA AIRLINES &

FLORIDA WEST

Telephone: 202-626-6600 or

202-626-6649

Fax: 202-626-6780

msinick@ssd.com

Howard Kass

Bob Wirick

For: AMERICAN AIRLINES

U.S. AIRWAYS

howard.kass@aa.com

robert.wirick@aa.com

John L. Richardson

John L. Richardson, P.L.L.C.

555 13th Street, N.W.

Suite 420 West

Washington, DC 20004

For: AMERIJET INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Telephone: 202-371-2258

Fax: 202-828-0158

jrichardson@johnlrichardson.com

Michelle Riordan

mriordan@johnlrichardson.com

Joan M. Canny

Senior Vice President

and General Counsel

AMERIJET INTERNATIONAL, INC.

2800 S. Andrews Ave.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 33316

Office 954-320-5300, Fax 305-423-3246

Direct 954-320-5367

jcanny@amerijet.com

Russell Pommer

1747 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.

Suite 875

Washington, D. C. 20006

For: ATLAS AIR

Telephone: 202-822-9121

Fax: 202-822-9152

rpommer@atlasair.com

John Mietus

Law Office of John Mietus, LLC

6701 Democracy Blvd., Ste 300

Bethesda, MD 20817-7500

For: CENTURION AIR CARGO & 

SKYLEASE

Telephone: 301-571-9334

Fax: 240-396-5362

john@mietuslaw.com
Alexander Van der Bellen

1275 K St., NW, Suite 1200

Washington, DC 20005

Chris Walker

202 842 3949

For: DELTA AIRLINES

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

chris.walker@delta.com

Sandra Lunsford

3620 Hacks Cross Rd

Bldg. B, 3rd Floor

Memphis, TN 38135

For: FEDERAL EXPRESS CORP.

Telephone: 901-434-8589

Fax: 901-434-9289

Sandra Lunsford

sllunsford@fedex.com

Stephen Lachter

stephen.lachter@lachterlaw.com

For: FRONTIER AIRLINES

“Cozen O’Connor”

1627 I Street, NW, Ste 1100

Washington, DC 20006

For: KALITTA AIR, L.L.C.

Telephone: 202-463-2525

Fax: 202-463-4950

DPefley@cozen.com

Mark Atwood

matwood@cozen.com

Ned Wallace

nwallace@wallaceair.com

Lynn Stauffer

lstauffer@wallaceair.com

Rick Zerkel, President

rzerkel@lac.lynden.com

Garry White

gwhite@lac.lynden.com

Jim Davis

jdavis@lac.lynden.com

For: LYNDEN AIR CARGO

6441 s. Airpark Place

Anchorage, AK 99502

Telephone: 907-249-4100

Fax: 907-245-0642

Elaine Nisson

3900 W. Int’l Airport Rd.

Anchorage, Alaska 99519

For: NORTHERN AIR CARGO

Telephone: 907-243-3331 ext.514

Fax: 907-249-5190

Elaine Nisson

enisson@nac.aero

Margot Wiegele

mwiegele@nac.aero
Kevin P. Montgomery

1747 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Suite 875

Washington, DC 20006

For: POLAR AIR

Telephone: 202-828-1002

Fax: 202-828-1003

Peter Beckett

Telephone 310-743-0142

Kevin.montgomery@polaraircargo.com

peter.beckett@polaraircargo.com

Tom Gillies

Paul Chase

For: SOUTHERN AIR

Telephone: 203-847-6000

TGillies@southernair.com

PChase@southernair.com

Aaron A. Goerlich

Garofalo, Goerlich & Hainbach, PC

1200 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 800

Washington, DC 20036

agoerlich@ggh-airlaw.com

Dan Weiss

1600 Smith Street, Ste HQSGV

Houston, TX 77002

For: UNITED AIRLINES

Telephone: 713-324-6697 or 

713-324-2140 or

(312) 997-7573 (Dan Weiss)

Fax: 713-324-2749

dan.weiss@coair.com

Anita Mosner 

Partner

Holland & Knight

For: UNITED PARCEL SERVICES

2099 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., 

Suite 100

Washington DC 20006

T: +1.202.419.2604

F: +1.202.955.5564

anita.mosner@hklaw.com

jennifer.nowak@hklaw.com

dsmalls@ups.com

Frank Avent

Airline Information Research

343 Round Hill Road

Sapphire, North Carolina 28774

Telephone: 703-489-9801

info@airlineinfo.com

Stephen A. Cristina

Acting Dep. Asst. Secy, Trnsp. Affairs

Department of State

2201 C Street, NW, Room 5830

Washington, DC 20520

Fax: 202-647-4324

CristinaSA@state.gov

Roger Rapier

Systems Operations Security Center 

(AJR-213)

FAA AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEM

OPERATIONS SECURITY

800 Independence Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20591

Telephone: 202-267-8115/5775

Fax: 202-267-9208

9-ATOR-HQ-RT-REQ@faa.gov

A. Oakely Brooks, President & CEO

& Paul Doell, Dir. Govt Affairs

National Air Carriers’ Association

(NACA)

Suite 1700

1000 Wilson Avenue

Arlington, VA 22209-3901

Telephone: 703-358-8065

Fax: 703-358-8070

Pdoell@naca.cc Dawn Pefley