# ZUCKERT SCOUTT EY

# RASENBERGER, LL.P.

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UYHAND Samuel Podbereskv Assistant General Counsel for

Aviation Enforcement 

### and Proceedings 

### U.S. Department oC Transportation 1200Nc\v Jersey Ave
.. S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 April 13,2012



### Rc: Equivalent Alternative Determination Requests Concerning 14 CFR 382.61
Dear Mr. Podberesky: ,)

We are writing on behalfofAerovias Del Continente American S.A. Avianca ('"Avianca"), TACA International Airlines, 

### S.A.. Lineas Acreas Costarricenscs S.A., 

### and Trans American Airlines d/b/a TACA 

### Peru ("the TACA CarTiers") (collectively with Avianca, 

### the "Joint Applicants") to request approval 

### for potential seat configuration changes 

### planned for aircraft covered by Avianca's and the TACA Carriers' equivalent alternative determinations ("EADs") concerning 14 CFR 382.61 (granted October 27,2009 and July 25.2011, respectively). Condition 1 ofthe EADs requires the Department's prior approval for any seating configuration changes and/or seat dimension changes to be made on any aircraft subject to the EADs· scope. As you are mvare, Avianea and the TACA Carriers now operate under the common ownership and overall management of AviancaTACA Holding S.A. As suclL these carriers are undertaking efforts to improve and standardize f1cet and aircraft configurations. Part ofthis effort invol\'cs the creation of common configurations for A319 and A32U aircraft (collectively, the ''AVTA Conflgurations") to be delivered to Avianca and the TACA Carriers. The AVTA Configurations involve modifications to pending aircraft orders. 1

Avianca and tht' TACA Carriers arc also exploring retrofit options lor aircraft already in their fleeb. If it develops that an A V rA Retmiit Configuration is confinned that involves changes to any ofthe material cabin/aislc/seilt dimensions. Avianca and the TAC/\ Carrier:; \Viii submit a separate I·:AD request to th<.: Department concerning**tho~c** changes. . •'.

### ZUCKERT SCOUTT b- 

### RASENBERGER, L.L.P Samuel Podberesky April 13,2012 Page 2

Avianca and the TACA Caniers are 

### in the midst offinalizing details ofthe AVTA Configurations 

### with Airbus (with one exception, none ofthese details 

### arc germane 

### to this request). The noted exception is that the 

### business class seats may or may not ultimately be configured with movable aisle armrests. Therefore, out ofabundance ofcaution and 

### to provide planning f1exibility, the Joint Applicants arc 

### filing this request in the event that the seats are not configured 

### with movable aisle armrests. Both Avianca's and the 

### TACA Carriers' EADs concern business c1ass seats in 

### each canier's respective Airbus A3l9, A320, and (for the TACA Carriers) A321 aircraft. 2 

### The AVTA Confiu_urations 

### -vvill continue 1.o utilize the same Weber Model 

### 7070 seats in business class as

## prese1~ly used by Avianca, 3 

### but 

### in a slightly different configuration.'1 

### Layouts ofpassenger arrangement for the AVTA Configurations are set forth as Exhibit AVTA-1 (pursuant to 

### Rule 12, conlldential treatment is requested 

### fi.lr this exhibit). A summary ofthe relevant difJcrences between Avianca and TACA Carrier aircraft and the AVTA Configuration aircraft (for both A319 and A320 models) are as follows:

• Between Avianca 

### and the AVTA Configuration, an increase of 

### .1" in aisle width; a 

### 2" decrease in the space bet,seen the first row ofbusiness class and the 

### bulkhead; a 

### 2" increase in row-to-row distance) (furthest distance from scatback to leading edge ofbottom of scat cushion) for rows 2 and 3.**~c~** 

### Exhibit AVTA

### 2.

• Between the TACA Carriers and the AVTA Configuration, aisle width decreases .5"; and first row to bulkhead distance increases 

### 2.78''. See Exhibit AVTA-3. There are no other changes that impact cabin space or dimensions, including changes to seat pitch. The Joint Applicants respectfully submit that these changes will not negatively impact the ability ofa passenger with a mobility impairment to 

### make an assisted or unassisted transfer from an aisle wheelchair into or oul ofthe business class seats for the reasons set forth below.

2 The dimensions set forth in this request ancl**it~** accompanying exhibits refer to and compare the dimensions ofthe

A3 I9 and A320 aircraft f(Jr which EI\Ds I leTt: granted. Older A3 I 9 and A320 aircraft that pre-date DOT's 2008 revisions to Part 382 may have slightly different configurations and dimensions than those stated herein. 3 The TACA Carriers aircraft are eguipped with Rccaro 4400 seats in business class. 4 A vianca and the TACA**Carrier~'** aircraft arc presently eguippcd with Weber 5750 sents in the tourist class cabin.

The /\VT A Configuration aircrali will be equipped with Weber 5751 seats. These seats, however, will be equipped with movable aisle armrests, and <Jrc thcn:fore not addressed in this request.

### ZUCKERT SCOUTT & 

### RASENBERGER, LL.P. Samuel Podheresky April 13,2012 Page 3 Although for Avianca the first row to bulkhead distance decreases by 2'' (to 20.9"), this space is still almost 2.8" greater than the space the Department approved for the TACA Carriers ( 18.12"). Similarly, although the aisle width decreases slightly for the TACA Carriers 

### by .5" to 23 .6", the Department approved Avianca's EAD with 

### a smaller 

### aisle width (23 .5"). Importantly, these approved Avianca aircraft are 

### equipped with the same Weber 7070 business class seats as the AVTA 

### Configuration aircraft. It 

### is thus clear that a mobility-impaired passenger using an aisle wheelchair will have suiTicicnt space to transfer into, and out of these seats (without 

### being lifted over the armrest) in a safe a dignified manner. The Department has also approved a number of 

### EAD applications involving significantly narrower aisle dimensions than those at issue here. 5 

### lAC!\ 

### \Viii take delivery of the first AVTA Configuration aircraft between July and September ofthis year. As such, 

### it is essential that the Joint Applicants be able to perform the necessary planning to incorporate these aircra(t into its fleet and operations as soon as possible. On this basis, therefore, the TACA Carriers respectfully request expedited consideration ofthis 6 

### request The 

### Joint Applicants will provide the Department with any additional information necessary concerning this request. Please contact that undersigned if you have any questions. Respectfully submitted,

Richard 

### D. Mathias David M. Endcrsbee Counsel for Acrovias Del Continentc 

### American S.A. 1\vianca, TACA International Airlines, S.A., Lineas Aereas 

### Costarricenses S.A., and Trans American Airlines d/b/a TACA Peru**~** $Q_c.**c.~,** Supplemental Request of Cathay l'acilic Airways Limited for an Equivalent Alternative Determination (September 5. 2008) at 2 (aisle widths of I**~.5'·.** J8.5. and 19". approved August 3, 2009); Application ofJapan International Airlines Co., Ltd. for an Equivalent Allcrnative Determination (September 9, 2009), at Exhibit 2 (aisle widths of2 I" and 20.4")(granted Uccemb.cr 23, 2009); Singapore Airlines Request for Part 382 Conflict \Vaiver and Equivalent Alternative Determination (September I0, 2008) (Approved August 3, 2009), A380 Exhibit (2o·· width). 6 The details ofthe AVTA Configuration \I ere only recently settled upon.

### CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED PURSUANT TO RlJLE 12 Exhibit AVTA-lExhibit AVTA-2S•atWirlth AVIANCA



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