UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation on December 13 , 20 10

NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN

-- DOCKET DOT

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________ This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken by the Department official indicated (no additional confirming order will be issued in this matter).

Applicant: VIP EMPRESARIAL , S.A. de C.V. Date Filed: October 22, 2010

Relief requested: Renewal of e xemption under 49 US C § 4 0109 to permit the applicant to conduct passenger charter operations between Mexico and the United States, and other passenger charters in accordance with 14 CFR Part 212, using small equipment

. The applicant also requests renewal of its stopover privileges and continued relief from the requirement to provide advance notic e of each flight, or series of flights, between Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the applicant requests that the authority be granted for a term of at least two years

. If renewal, date and citation of last action: October 24, 2008, in this Docket.

Applicant representative: Lee A. Bauer, 202

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- 3300 DOT analyst: Robert J. Finamore , 202

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Responsive pleadings: None.

DISPOSITION

Action: Approved. Action date: December 13 , 2010

Effective dates of authority granted: December 13 , 2010 , through December 13 , 2012

. Basis for approval (bil ateral agreement/reciprocity): United States

- Mexico Air Transport Services Agreement (“the Agreement”).

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of our standard exemption conditions (attached).

Special conditions/Remarks: In the conduct of these operations, the carrier must adhere to all applicable provisions of the Agreement and may only use aircraft capable of carrying no more than 60 passengers and having a maximum payload capacity of no more than 18,000 pounds (small equipment). The above grant includes authority to operate Third and Fourth Freedom charters. While we have subjected, consistent with the provisions of the Agreement, Mexican carriers conducting charter operations with large aircraft to prior approval or submission of notice for their

Third and Fourth F reedom charters, we determined that any such requirement was not necessary on public interest grounds in the case of this carrier, since the carrier will be conducting these operations solely with small aircraft. 1
(Other charter operations to/from the Uni ted States under this authority, however, are subject to prior approval under

14 CFR Part 212

. ) Further, we are continuing to allow Mexican carriers conducting passenger charters using small equipment to make stopovers in the United States in the conduct of such operations.

Action taken by: Paul L. Gretch, Director, Office of International Aviation

______________________________________________________________________________________________ __________ Under authority assigned by the D epartment in its regulations, 14 CFR Part 385, we found that (1) our action was consistent with Department policy; (2) the applicant was qualified to perform its proposed operations; (3) grant of the authority was consist ent with the public interest; and ( 4) grant of the authority would not constitute a major regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. To the extent not granted/deferred/dismissed, we denied all requests in the referenced Docket. We may amend, modify, or revoke the authority granted in this Notice at any time without hearing at our discretion.

Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of the action set forth in this Notice under the Department’s regulati ons, 14 CFR §385.30, may file their petitions within seven (7) days after the date of issuance of this Notice. This action was effective when taken, and the filing of a petition for review will not alter such effectiveness.

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web a t: http://www.regulations.gov/fdms/component/main

1 We note, however, that the applicant must meet any reporting requirements set forth in its FAA Operations Specifications.

### Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier applicant(s) shall:

(1) Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective authorization from its homeland for such operations, and it has filed a copy of such authorization with the Department;

(2) Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation Administratio n, the Transportation Security Administration, and with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, including, but not limited to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, and 36 and 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as applicable. To assure compliance with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, the holder shall, before commencing any new service (including charter flights) from a foreign airport that would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States, contact its Inter national Industry Representative (IIR) (formerly referred to as International Principal Security Inspector ) to advise the I IR of its plans and to find out whether the Transportation Security Administration has determined that security is adequate to allow such airport(s) to be served ;

(3) Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage contained in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the commencement of any operations under this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the form of a completed OST Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Program Management Branch (AFS

- 260), Flight Standards Service (any changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be filed with that office);

(4) Not operate aircraft under this authority unl ess it complies with operational safety requirements at least equivalent to Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention;

(5) Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirements of its Government for international air services;

(6) Except as specifica lly exempted or otherwise provided for in a Department Order, comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 203, concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defenses;

(7) Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of sov ereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 1605(a), but only with respect to those actions or proceedings instituted against it in any court or other tribunal in the United States that are: (a) based on its operations in international air transportati on that, according to the contract of carriage, include a point in the United States as a point of origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for which the contract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or (b) based on a claim un der any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any court or other tribunal of the United States. In this condition, the term "international air transportation" means "international transportation" as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except that all States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the purpose of this definition;

(8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or terminate all flights to/from the United States in its homeland;

(9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and charter data;

(10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provided in the applicable aviation agreement, comply with the Department's rules gover ning charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380); and

(11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations required by the public interest as may be prescribed by the Department, with all applicable orders or regulations of other U. S. agencies and courts, and with all applicable laws of the United States.

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with the conditions imposed above. Moreover, this authority cannot be sold or otherwis e transferred without explicit Department approval under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.

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