# 0 UMTE D STATE S O F AMERIC A DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y y WASHINGTON , D.C

.

Issue db y th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n o n Jul y 22,201 1 

### NOTIC E O F ACTIO N TAKE N - DOCKE T DOT-OST-2011-014 2 Thi s serve s a s notic e to th e publi c o f th e actio n describe dbelow , take n b y th e Department officia l indicate d(n o additional confirmin g order

wil l b e issue di n thi s matter)

. Applicant : VOLGA-DNEP RJ.S

. CARG O AIRLIN E (Volga-Dnepr ) Dat e Filed : Jul y 20,201 1 Relie f requested : Exemptio n from4 9 US C § 40109(g ) to permi t th e applican t

t o operate five, one-way , all-carg o charte r flights , usin g it s AN-124-10 0 aircraft , carryin g outsize dcarg o on behal f o f U.S

. TRANSCOM , fromHicka mAir Forc e Base , Hawaii , to Alexandria , Louisiana , on o r abou t Jul y 26-Augus t

2,2011

. Th e applican t

state s tha t th e flight s woul din tota l carry nin e UH-60 L helicopters , twelv e OH-58 D helicopters , an dassociate dequipment

. Th e applican t assert s tha

t U.S

. TRANSCO M need s th e subjec t lif t t o ensure th e smoot

h rotatio n o f

equipment

withou t disruptio n to operational missions ; tha t th e U.S

. TRANSCO M organi c lif t schedule dto transpor

t th e carg o wa s diverte dto other areas ; tha t th e carg o i s to o larg e fo

r transportatio n o n an y commerciall y availabl e U.S

. aircraft ; an dtha t surfac e transportatio n i s no t feasibl e becaus e o f

th e nature o f

th e carg o an dthe urgenc y o f th e shipment

. Applicant representative : ArtemTarasenko , 832-585-861 1 DO T analyst : Rober t J

. Finamore , 202-366-240 5 Responsiv e pleadings : Volga-Dnep r serve dit s applicatio n o n thos e U.S

. carrier s operatin g larg e all-carg o aircraft

. Eac h carrier indicate dtha

t i t di dno t hav e aircraf

t availabl e to conduc t

th e propose doperation s an dtha t i t hadn o comment

o r di dno t oppos e grant o f th e requeste dauthority

. Statutor y Standards : Under

4 9 US C § 40109(g) , w e ma y authoriz e aforeig n ai r

carrie r t o carr y commercial traffi c betwee n U.S

. point s (i.e. , cabotag e traffic ) imde r limite dcircumstances

. Specifically , w e mus t findtha t th e authorit

y i s require din th e publi c interest ; tha

t becaus e o f

a n emergenc y create db y unusual circumstance s no t arisin g i n th e norma

l cours e o f

busines s th e traffi c canno t b e accommodate db y U.S

. carrier s holdin g certificate s unde r 4 9 US C § 41102 ; tha

t al l possibl e effort s hav e bee n mad e t o plac e th e traffi c on U.S

. carriers ; an dtha t th e transportatio n i s necessar y t o avoi dunreasonabl e hardshi p to the traffi c involve d(a n additional require dfinding, concernin g emergenc y transportatio n durin g labo r disputes , wa s no t

relevan t here)

. DISPOSITIO N Action : Approved

. Actio n date : Jul y 22,201 1 Effectiv e date s o f

authorit y granted : Jul y 26-Augus t 2 , 2011

. Basi s fo r approval : W e are grantin g Volga-Dnepr' s reques t t o operate th e propose done-wa y flights (describe dabove) , o n behal f o f U.S

. TRANSCOM

. W e foundtha t it s reques t

met al l th e relevan t

criteri ao f

4 9 US C § 40109(g ) fo

r th e grant o f a n exemptio n o f thi s type , an dtha

t th e gran t wa s require din th e publi c interest

. Specifically , w e were persuade dtha t th e nee dto mov e th e carg o t o ensxir e th e smoot

h rotatio n o f

equipmen t

withou t disruptio n t o operational missions ; th e fact tha t th e U.S

. TRANSCO M organi c lif t schedule dto transpor

t th e carg o wa s diverte dt o other areas ; an dth e unique , outsize dnature o f th e cargo , constitute da

n emergenc y no t

arisin g in th e normal cours e o f business

. Moreover , base don th e representation s o f th e U.S

. carriers , w e conclude d tha t n o U.S

. carrie r

ha daircraf

t availabl e tha

t coul db e use dt o conduc t

th e operation s a

t issu e here

. W e als o foun

dtha t gran t of thi s authorit

y woul dprevent

imreasonabl e hardshi p to U.S

. TRANSCOM

. Finally , w e foundtha t th e applican t

wa s qualifie dto perfor mit s propose doperations

. Excep t to th e extent

exempted/waived , thi s authorit y i s subjec t

t o our standar dexemptio n condition s (attached ) an dt o th e conditio n tha t th e applican t

mus t compl y wit

h FAA-approve dfligh

t routing s fo

r th e authorize doperations

. W e ma y amend , modify , o r revoke th e authorit

y grante di n thi s Notic e at an y tim e withou t

hearin g a t our discretion

.
Actio n take n by : Susa n L

. Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternational Affair s A n electroni c versio n o f

thi s document

i s availabl e o n th e Worl dWid e We b at : http://\vww

. regulations , gov

### Foreig n Carrie r Exemptio n Condition s In th e conduc t

o f th e operation s authorized , th e foreig n carrie r applicant(s ) shall : (1 ) No t conduc t any operation s unles s i t

hold s acurrently effective authorizatio n fromit s homelan dfo r suc h operations , andi t ha s filed acop y o f

such authorizatio n wit

h th e Department ; (2 ) Compl y wit

h al l applicabl e requirement s o f th e Federal Aviatio n Administration , th e Transportatio n Securit y Administration , an dwit

h al l applicabl e U.S

. Government requirement s concernin g security , including , bu t no t limite d to , 1 4 CF RPart s 129 , 91 , an d3 6 an d4 9 CF RPar t 154 6 o r 1550 , a s applicable

. T o assure complianc e wit h al l applicabl e U.S

. Government requkement s concernin g security , th e holde r shall , befor

e commencin g an y ne w servic e (includin g charter

flights) from aforeig n airpor t tha t woul db e th e holder' s las t poin t o f departure fo

r th e Unite dStates , contac t it s International Industr

y Representativ e (IIR ) (formerl y referre dt o a s International Principal Securit y Inspector ) t o advis e th e II Ro f it s plan s an dt o findou t

whethe r th e Transportatio n Securit y Administratio n ha s determine dthat

securit y i s adequat e t o allo w suc h airport(s ) t o b e served ; (3 ) Comply wit

h th e requirement s fo

r minimuminsuranc e coverag e containe di n 1 4 CF RPar t 205 , and , prior

t o th e commencemen

t o f any operation s under

thi s authority , file evidenc e o f such coverage , i n th e for

mo f acomplete dOS T For m6411 , wit

h th e Federa

l Aviatio n Administration' s Progra mManagemen

t Branc h (AFS-260) , FUgh t Standard s Servic e (any change s to , o r terminatio n of

, insuranc e als o shall b e filed wit h tha t office) ; (4 ) No t operat e aircraf t under thi s authorit

y unles s i t complie s wit

h operationa

l safet y requirement s a

t leas t equivalen t t o Anne x 6 o f th e Chicag o Convention ; (5 ) Confor

mt o th e airworthines s an dairman competenc y requirement s o f it s Governmen t

fo r international ai r services ; (6 ) Excep t

a s specificall

y exempte do

r otherwis e provide dfo

r i n aDepartmen

t Order , comply wit

h th e requirement s of

1 4 CF RPar t 203 , concernin g waive

r o f Warsa w Conventio n liabiUt

y limit s an ddefenses ; (7 ) Agre e tha

t operation s unde r

thi s authorit

y constitute awaive r

o f sovereig n immunity , fo

r th e purpose s o f

2 8 U.S.C

. 1605(a) , bu t

onl y wit h respec t t o thos e action s o r

proceeding s institute dagains t i t i n any cour

t o r other tribunal i n th e Unite dState s tha

t are : (a ) base do n it s operation s i n international ai r fransportation that , accordin g t o th e confract o f carriage , includ e apoin t

i n th e Unite dState s a s apoin t o f origin , poin t

o f destination , o r

agree dstoppin g place , o r

fo r whic h th e confract

o f carriag e wa s purchase di n th e Unite dStates ; o r (b ) base do n aclai munde r any international agreement o r freaty cognizabl e in any cour t or other tribunal o f

th e Unite dStates

. In thi s condition , th e ter m "international ai r

fransportation" mean s "international fransportation" a s define db y th e Warsaw Convention , excep t tha t al l State s shal l b e considere dto b e Hig h Confractin g Partie s fo r th e purpos e o f

thi s definition ; (8 ) Excep t

a s specificall y authorize db y th e Department , originate or terminat e al l flights to/fro mth e Unite dState s in it s homeland ; (9 ) Compl y wit

h th e requirement s o f

1 4 CF RPart 217 , concernin g th e reportin g o f scheduled , nonscheduled , an d charter data ; (10 ) I f charter operation s are authorized , excep t a s otherwis e provide di n th e applicabl e aviatio n agreement , comply wit h th e Department' s rule s governin g charter s (includin g 1 4 CFRPart s 21 2 an d380) ; an d (11 ) Comply wit

h suc h other

reasonabl e terms , conditions , an dlimitation s require db y th e publi c interes t a s ma y b e prescribe db y th e Department , wit h al l applicabl e order s o r

regulation s o f

othe r U.S

. agencie s an dcourts , an dwit h al l applicabl e law s o f

th e Unite dStates

. Thi s authorit

y shal l no t

b e effectiv e durin g an y perio dwhe n th e holde r i s no t i n complianc e wit

h th e condition s impose dabove

. Moreover , thi s authorit y canno t b e sol do r

otherwis e fransferredwithou t explici t Department

approval unde r Titl e 4 9 o f

th e U.S

. Code

. 12/200 7