BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

for renewal of exemption authority pursuant to 

49 U.S.C. § 40109 (U.S.-China Codesharing) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

 

 DOT-OST-1997-2653 

Dockets DOT-OST-2001-9314 

 DOT-OST-2001-10172 

APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

FOR RENEWAL OF EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to: 

March 2, 2010 

Alexander Van der Bellen, 

 Managing Director, Government Affairs 

 and Associate General Counsel 

Jeff Morgan 

 Regional Director, Government Affairs 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

1212 New York Avenue, NW Suite 200 

Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 842-4184 

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

NOTICE: Delta is conducting a poll on this application and will advise the 

Department of the results as soon as possible.
 

BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

for renewal of exemption authority pursuant to 

49 U.S.C. § 40109 (U.S.-China Codesharing) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

 

 DOT-OST-1997-2653 

Dockets DOT-OST-2001-9314 

 DOT-OST-2001-10172 

APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

FOR RENEWAL OF EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) hereby applies for renewal of exemption authority 

under 49 U.S.C. § 40109 to authorize Delta to continue to provide scheduled foreign air 

transportation of persons, property, and mail between the United States and China via 

intermediate points and beyond on a codeshare basis with China Southern Airlines 

Company Limited (“China Southern”). Delta’s exemption for purposes of codesharing on 

flights operated by China Southern was last renewed and amended by Notice of Action 

Taken dated March 11, 2008 (Dockets DOT-OST-1997-2653, DOT-OST-2001-9314 and 

DOT-OST-2001-10172) for a two year period expiring March 11, 2010. Delta requests 

renewal of this exemption authority for an additional period of at least two years. 

Pursuant to the exemption authority that is the subject of this renewal application, 

and a codeshare statement of authorization issued to China Southern,1

 Delta displays its 

designator code on flights operated by China Southern between the United States and 

China, and between Delta’s authorized China gateways and points within China. Delta 

 

1

 The statement of authorization granted by Notice of Action Taken dated April 10, 2006, and 

amended by Notice of Action Taken dated March 11, 2008, in these dockets, continues in effect 

indefinitely, subject to the Department’s standard blanket codesharing conditions. 
Application of Delta for Renewal 

Page 2 

continues to be fully qualified to perform these services. Delta requests that the 

Department take official notice, pursuant to Rule 24 of the Department’s Rules of 

Practice, of all other data on file with the Department necessary to establish Delta’s 

fitness. 

Renewal of Delta’s exemption authority is in the public interest. Such authority 

continues to be consistent with the aviation agreement between the United States and 

China. Delta’s codesharing services on flights operated by China Southern provide 

competition with U.S.-China services operated by other U.S. and foreign carriers. 

Renewal of Delta’s authority will allow Delta to continue to offer these important 

competitive services to consumers. 

WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, Delta respectfully requests that the 

Department renew Delta’s exemption authorizing it to continue to provide scheduled 

foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between the United States and 

China via intermediate points and beyond on a codeshare basis with China Southern, as 

described herein, and that the Department grant such other relief it deems to be 

consistent with the public interest. 

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________ 

Alexander Van der Bellen 

Managing Director, Government Affairs 

 & Associate General Counsel 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

A copy of the foregoing document has been served this 2nd day of March, 2010, upon 

the following persons via email: 

carl.nelson@aa.com 

dan.weiss@coair.com 

hershel.kamen@coair.com 

rbkeiner@crowell.com (for Continental) 

mrosia@crowell.com (for Continental) 

jeffrey.manley@united.com 

julie.oettinger@united.com 

howard.kass@usairways.com 

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com 

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov 

mike.orr@airlineinfo.com