AFS-16-8271-E 

May 24, 2016 

 Exemption No. 16740 

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2006-26027 

Mr. Jim W. Colburn 

Director of Operations 

Frontier Airlines, Inc. 

7001 Tower Road 

Denver, CO 80249 

Dear Mr. Colburn: 

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our 

decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, 

including the date it ends. 

The Basis for Our Decision 

By letter dated December 14, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) on behalf of Frontier Airlines, Inc. (Frontier) for an exemption from §§ 47.49 and 

91.203(a) and (b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary 

to allow Frontier to operate its U.S.– registered aircraft in domestic airline operations without 

the aircraft registration or the airworthiness certificate on board the aircraft. 

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any 

delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Frontier. 

Although you requested an extension of Exemption No. 10183, as amended, that exemption 

expired on January 31, 2016. Therefore, we are issuing Frontier a new exemption. 

The FAA reviewed Frontier’s petition against active exemptions authorizing similar relief for 

other part 121 certificate holders and discovered that there are inconsistencies in the 

regulations cited. In order to create consistency among these exemptions, the FAA is 
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amending the exemptions as necessary to ensure that they contain the appropriate regulatory 

references. 

The FAA finds that relief from § 47.49 is unnecessary because, under the provisions of an 

approved program authorized by this exemption, an air carrier would no longer need to 

request a temporary certificate under § 47.49 to operate an aircraft immediately. Thus, an 

exemption from § 47.49 is not being granted since, under the circumstances, exemption from 

that section is not necessary in fulfilling the objectives of the petitioner. 

In addition, the FAA has determined that Frontier requires an exemption from § 121.153(a)(1) 

to operate under part 121 and has added it to this grant of exemption. 

The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to 

those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 10183, as amended, and Grant of 

Exemption No. 8100 (copies enclosed) the FAA found that an equivalent level of safety can 

be met, provided that the petitioner follows the conditions and limitations listed below. 

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that: 

 They are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed 

Grants of Exemption No. 10183 and No. 8100; 

 The reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grants of Exemption No. 10183 

and No. 8100 also apply to the situation you present; and 

 For the reasons stated in Grants of Exemption No. 10183 and No. 8100, a grant of 

exemption is in the public interest. 

Our Decision 

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113 and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, I hereby grant Frontier Airlines, Inc. (Frontier) an 

exemption from 14 CFR §§ 91.203(a) and (b) and 121.153(a)(1) to the extent necessary to 

allow Frontier to operate its U.S.–registered aircraft in domestic airline operations without the 

aircraft registration or the airworthiness certificate on board the aircraft, subject to the 

conditions and limitations described below. 

Conditions and Limitations 

1. Frontier, before utilizing this exemption, must apply for, and receive from the 

district office responsible for its air carrier certificate an amendment to its 

operations specifications authorizing it to exercise the privileges of this 

exemption. 

2. Frontier, before utilizing the provisions of this exemption, must (a) develop a 

comprehensive program that provides for continued operation of the aircraft 
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through use of an appropriate entry in the aircraft logbook when the certificate of 

registration or airworthiness for such aircraft is lost, stolen, or mutilated; (b) 

ensure that timely application is made to the FAA for a replacement certificate in 

accordance with § 47.49; and (c) provide for the temporary operation of the 

aircraft during the interim required to receive a replacement certificate from the 

FAA and install it on the affected aircraft. This program must be FAA approved 

and instructions for its use shall be included in the air carrier’s manual required by 

 § 121.133. 

3. The comprehensive program specified in Condition/Limitation No. 2 must contain: 

a. A requirement that the following statement be entered into the appropriate 

section of the aircraft logbook whenever this exemption is to be utilized: 

“This aircraft is being operated without a certificate of registration (or 

airworthiness, as applicable) under the provisions of Exemption No. 16740 for 

a period of 3 days, not including weekends or Federal holidays, following the 

start of the next business day beginning: 

Time___________ Date___________ 20______.” 

The signature, title, and station location of the person(s) authorized by 

Condition/Limitation No. 3(b) shall be affixed to this statement. 

b. An identification of the designated person or persons within Frontier’s 

maintenance organization authorized to enter the statement outlined in 

Condition/Limitation No. 3(a) will be transmitted to the affected aircraft. 

c. An arrangement whereby those persons within the Frontier organization 

responsible for certificates of registration and airworthiness will maintain a 

current record of the data from the certificates of each aircraft within its fleet 

which may be affected by the exemption. The data must be made readily 

available to the designated person or persons within Frontier’s maintenance 

organization identified pursuant to Condition/Limitation No. 3(b) and must be 

kept current at all times. 

d. Procedures to ensure that the FAA principal maintenance inspector (PMI) with 

responsibility for Frontier is immediately notified of a missing or mutilated 

certificate and that timely application is made to the FAA for a replacement 

certificate (in the case of an airworthiness certificate) or a duplicate certificate 

(in the case of a registration certificate). 

e. Procedures which will describe specific duties and responsibilities by job title. 
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4. The privileges of this exemption may only be exercised by Frontier for temporary 

replacement of a lost, stolen, or mutilated certificate which is current and in effect 

and only applies to U.S.-registered aircraft listed in Frontier’s FAA-approved 

operations specifications. Where Frontier is not the registered owner authorizing 

the use of the program allowed by this exemption, Frontier must file a copy of the 

written consent document with the FAA certificate-holding district office (CHDO) 

and must maintain a copy of the consent document in its own files. 

5. A copy of this exemption and a copy of the operations specifications authorizing 

its use must be carried on board the aircraft when exercising the privileges of this 

exemption. 

6. The privileges of this exemption may only be exercised when the affected aircraft 

is operating totally within the contiguous 48 states of the United States and the 

District of Columbia. 

This exemption terminates on May 31, 2018, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ 

John S. Duncan 

Director, Flight Standards Service 

Enclosures 

Exemption No. 10183A and No. 8100