Champlain Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a CommutAir, d/b/a United Express 

Family Assistance Plan

March 20, 2014

Pursuant to the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996, formerly the Wendell H. Ford Aviation 

Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, please find attached the Champlain Enterprises, Inc. 

amended Family Assistance Plan.

Through contractual agreement, Champlain Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a CommutAir, d/b/a United Express, 

will utilize the United Airlines, Inc. Family Assistance Plan.

Respectfully submitted,

John	F.	Darke

Director of Safety

Operated by CommutAir

24950 Country Club Blvd. Suite 300

North Olmsted, Ohio 44070
CommutAir Memorandum of Understanding with United Airlines

CommutAir, operating regional flights as a United Express carrier for United Airlines puts forth 

the following document as a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the organization of a 

combined Emergency Response to an aircraft accident.

CommutAir, as a separate aircraft operating certificate holder, with a separate hull insurance 

policy has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that it’s Emergency Response Plan (in 

coordination with United Airlines) addresses all 32 Airline Victim Support Tasks listed in the 

United States Federal Family Assistance Plan for Aviation Disasters. 

Specifically, CommutAir agrees to staffing teams for the Accident Investigation, Crew Family 

Assistance, as well as Media press releases and press conferences, and financial payments to 

family members, as well as Emergency Response related costs from United Airlines. 

CommutAir has also selected its Personal Effects vendor and its Funeral Services vendor.

United Airlines agrees to publishing and staffing toll free friends and family telephone numbers, 

staffing teams related to Passenger Family Assistance, including verifying the Passenger 

Manifest, launching a Go Team to the accident city with Special Assistance Team members 

onboard, and staffing the Family Assistance Center. United Airlines agrees to use the Personal 

Effects and Funeral Services vendors that CommutAir has pre-selected.

Coordination items between CommutAir and United Airlines will include, initial activation of 

both airlines Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) for early response coordination, deployment 

of Go Teams, and a senior member of both CommutAir and United Airlines onsite, staffing the 

Joint Family Support Operations Center, located at the Family Assistance Center, to make joint 

decisions regarding family assistance, including coordination of policies regarding family 

members.
UNITED AIRLINES, INC.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN

NOVEMBER 2013

This Family Assistance Plan is submitted in compliance with the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act 

of 1996, the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, and the Vision 

IOO-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act to identify the Family Assistance Plan established for use by 

United Airlines, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Continental Micronesia, Inc. and Air Micronesia, 

Inc. (collectively, "United"). In this plan, United uses the organized procedures that have been put into 

place to best meet the needs of customers and families as outlined in the above-referenced legislation.

United's plan to assist those affected by an aviation disaster is part of a larger organized effort that 

includes the National Transportation Safety Board and many other government agencies to provide the 

highest level of support to survivors and family members.

In addition, with respect to certain airlines operating as United Express carriers, United has been

contracted to activate its Family Assistance Plan. United's Family Assistance Plan may also be

implemented upon request from a Star Alliance Partner involved in an accident on a flight to or from the 

United States or U.S. territories. An up-to-date list of United Express carriers and United's Star Alliance 

Partners is available at: www.united.com.

United - Family Assistance Plan

1. After an aviation disaster covered by United's Family Assistance Plan, United will publicize a reliable, 

toll-free telephone number, and will provide staff to handle calls from the families of the passengers.

a) United's Customer Contact Center will be immediately notified by the Network Operations Center 

when an accident has occurred.

b) The Customer Contact Center will activate a toll-free telephone number which has been 

designated specifically for public inquiries regarding the accident.

 c) Upon activation, the Customer Contact Center will:

I) Advise Customer Contact personnel that the toll-free number has been activated and to 

prepare to begin answering telephone calls.

2) Advise Corporate Communications the toll-free number has been activated and is ready for 

publication to the media.

2. United will notify the families of the passengers prior to any public notice of the names of the 

passengers, either by utilizing the services of the organization designated for the accident under 49 

U.S.C. S 1136(a)(2) or the services of other suitably trained individuals.
a) As each name on the manifest is verified, the passenger's name will be assigned to a trained 

Team Member who is responsible for notifying the family.

b) Team Members may use various sources of information, including the following, to obtain family 

member contact information:

 I) Phone numbers in the reservation

 2) Travel Agency phone numbers

 3) Frequent Flyer account information

 4) Inbound phone calls

 5) Passport information

3. Notification to the family of a passenger will be provided by United as soon as United has verified that 

the passenger was aboard the aircraft (whether or not the names of all the passengers have been 

verified) and, to the extent practicable, in person.

4. United will provide to the director of family support services designated for the accident under 49 

U.S.C. S 1136(a)(l) and to the organization designated for the accident under 49 U.S.C. S 1136(a)(2), 

immediately upon request, a list (which is based on the best available information at the time of the 

request) of the names of the passengers aboard the aircraft (whether or not such names have been 

verified), and will periodically update the list.

5. United will consult with the family of each passenger regarding the disposition of all remains and 

personal effects of the passenger within the control of United.

6. If requested by the family of a passenger, United will return any possession (regardless of its 

condition) of the passenger, within the control of United, to the family unless the possession is needed 

for the accident investigation or any criminal investigation.

7. Any unclaimed possession of a passenger, within the control of United, will be retained by United for 

at least 18 months.

8. United will consult with the family of each passenger about construction by United of any monument 

to the passengers, including any inscription on the monument.

9. The treatment of families of non-revenue passengers (and any other victim of the accident) will be the 

same as the treatment of the families of revenue passengers.

10. United will work with any organization designated under 49 U.S.C. ~ 1136(a)(2) on an ongoing basis 

to ensure that families of passengers receive an appropriate level of services and assistance following an 

accident.
11. United will provide reasonable compensation to any organization designated under 49 U.S.C. ~ 

1136(a)(2) for services provided to or on behalf of United by the organization.

12. United will assist the family of a passenger in traveling to the location of the accident and provide for 

the physical care of the family while the family is staying at such location.

13. United will commit sufficient resources to carry out its Family Assistance Plan.

14. Upon request of the family of a passenger, United will inform the family of whether the passenger's 

name appeared on a preliminary passenger manifest for the flight involved in the accident whether or 

not the name of that person has been verified.

15. United has and will continue to provide adequate training to the employees and agents of United to 

meet the needs of survivors and family members following an accident.

16. In the event that United volunteers assistance to United States citizens within the United States with 

respect to an aircraft accident outside the United States involving major loss of life, United will consult 

with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of State on the provision of the 

assistance.

17. In the case of an accident that results in significant damage to a man-made structure or other 

property on the ground that is not government owned, United will promptly provide property about 

liability for any property damage and means for obtaining compensation.

Such written notice will advise an owner:

(a) To contact the insurer of the property as the authoritative source for information about 

coverage and compensation;

(b) Not to rely on unofficial information offered by United representatives about compensation by 

United for accident-site property damage; and

(c) To obtain photographic or other detailed evidence of property damage as soon as possible after 

the accident, consistent with restrictions on access to the accident site.

18. In the case of an accident in which the National Transportation Safety Board conducts a public 

hearing or comparable proceeding at a location greater than 80 miles from the accident site, United will 

ensure that the proceeding is made available simultaneously by electronic means at a location open to 

the public at both the origin city and destination city of the flight if that city is located in the United 

States.