BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

________________________________________________ )

Application of )

)

AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE )

AMERICANO S.A. (AVIANCA) ) Docket No. OST

- 2012

- 0137

)

for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 )

(U.S.

– Colombia Open Skies) )

________________________________________________)

APPLICATION OF

AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE AMERICANO S.A. (AVIANCA)

FOR AN AMENDED EXEMPTION

Communications with resp ect to this document should be sent to:

Richard D. Mathias

David M. Endersbee

Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger L.L.P.

888 Seventeenth Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006

Tel: (202) 973

- 7917

Fax: (202) 342

- 0683

rdmathias@zsrlaw.com

dmendersbee@zsrlaw.com

Counsel for

Aerovias del Continente

Americano S.A. (Avianca)

January 3 , 2013

NOTICE: Answers to this application are due by January 18, 2013 , and must be served on

the Applicant and all persons set forth on the attached certificate of s ervice.

However, the Applicant intends to poll.BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

________________________________________________ )

Application of )

)

AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE )

AMERICANO S.A. (AVI ANCA) ) Docket No. OST

- 2012

- 0137

)

for an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 )

(U.S.

– Colombia Open Skies) )

________________________________________________)

APPLICATION OF

AEROVIAS DEL CONTINENTE AMERICANO S.A. (AVIANCA)

FOR AN AMENDED EXEMPTION

Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca) , pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and

Subpart C of the Department’s Rules of Practice, hereby applies for an amended exemption from

49 U.S.C. § 41301 to the extent ne cessary to authoriz e Avianca to engage in foreign scheduled

and charter air transportation of persons, property and mail from points behind Colombia via

Colombia and intermediate points to points in the United States and beyond, as more fully

described herein

.

In support o f this application, Avianca states as follows:

1. In 2011, the U.S. and Colombia signed an historic open skies Air Transport

Agreement (the “Agreement”), 1

1 Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the

Repub lic of Colombia (signed May 10, 2011). which is being provisionally applied as of August 26, 2011.Application of Avianca for

an Amended Exemption

Page 2 of 4

2. Avianca presently holds a foreign ai r carrier permit authorizing it to engage, inter

alia, in foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between a point or points in

Colombia, certain intermediate points, and (1) the co

- terminal points Miami and New York, and

(2) Los Angeles. Order 86

- 9

- 36. Avianca also holds exemption authorities under which it has

been proving services to travelers and shippers in the U.S. and throughout Latin America,

including expanded exemption authority as it has become available pursuant to the transit ional

provisions of the Agreement. See Notice of Action Taken (March 19, 2012), Docket OST

- 2011

-

0211 (additional U.S. points); Notice of Action Taken (August 30, 2012), Docket OST

- 2012

-

0137 (open skies marketing rights).

3. The transitional provisions of the Agreement expire d on December 31, 2012. See

Annex, Section 4. As such, in order to take advantage of the full open skies rights available to it,

Avianca requests this exemption authority to allow it to engage in the full scope of services

availabl e to Colombian carriers under the Agreement. More specifically, Avianca requests that

the Department grant it exemption authority to provide scheduled and charter foreign air

transportation of persons, property, and mail from points behind Colombia, via C olombia and

intermediate points to points in the United States and beyond, and to perform charters pursuant to

Part 212 of the Department’s regulations.

4. Avianca holds all of the necessary operating authorizations from its homeland in

support of this r equest and remains fit, willing, and able to exercise the rights now available to itApplication of Avianca for

an Amended Exemption

Page 3 of 4

under the Agreement. Colombia is a contracting state to the Convention on International Civil

Aviation.

5. This requested authority is both provided for in the Agreement and is an

important aspect of the Avianca/TACA Group common code and branding services which the

Department recently approved. See Notice of Action Taken (December 13, 2012), Docket OST

2012

- 0136. Avianca is the only carrier in the group of carriers part icipating in this common

code and branding arrangement which does not yet hold full open skies authority. Grant of this

authority will, therefore, serve to make possible the full spectrum of services that will be possible

under this arrangement, and will maximize the air transportation options available to the

traveling public. It will also provide Avianca with the maximum possible flexibility to respond

to market conditions and to the needs of travelers and shippers in with a minimum of regulatory

delay.

6. Grant of the authority sought by Avianca will not constitute a major regulatory

action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as defined in Part 313 of the

Department’s Regulations.

WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, Aerovias del Co ntinente Americano S.A.

(Avianca) respectfully requests that the Department grant the requested amended exemption

authority as described more fully herein. Avianca also requests such further, different and

additional relief as the Department may deem to b e appropriate.Application of Avianca for

an Amended Exemption

Page 4 of 4

Respectfully submitted,

________________________ Richard D. Mathias

David M. Endersbee

Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger L.L.P.

888 Seventeenth Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006

Tel: (202) 973

- 7917

Fax: (202) 342

- 0683

rdmathias@zsrlaw.com

dmendersbee@zsrlaw.com

Counsel for

Aerovias del Continente

Americano S.A. (Avianca)

January 3 , 2013CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on this 3rd day of January 2013 , a copy of the foregoing A pplication of Aerovias del

Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca) was served by email on the parties named below:

Lorraine B. Halloway

Gerald F. Murphy

Couns el for Continental/United Airlines

Crowell & Moring LLP

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004

- 2595

l halloway@crowell.com

gmurphy@crowell.com

Dan Weiss

Managing Director

– International &

Regulatory Affairs

United Air Lines

77 West Wacker Drive

- HDQIZ

Chicago , IL 60601

d an.weiss@united.com

Stephen J. Morrissey

Managing Director, Regulatory and

Policy

United Air Lines, Inc.

1 225 New York Avenue, NW

- DCAIZ

Suite 1100

Washington, DC 20005

s teve.morrissey@united.com

Jonathan T. Linde

Managing Director & Senior Counsel

- Regulatory

United Air Lines, Inc.

77 West Wacker Drive

- HDQLD

16 th Floor

Chicago, IL 60601

j onathan.linde@united.com

Anita Mosner

Jennifer Nowak

Counsel for United Parcel Service

Holland & Knight

800 17 th Street, N.W.

Suite 1100

Wa shington, D.C. 20006

a nita.mosner@hklaw.com

j ennifer.nowak@hklaw.com Alexander Van Der Bellen

Sametta C. Barnett

Delta Air Lines

1212 New York Avenue, NW

Suite 200

Washington, D.C. 20005

s ascha.vander bellen@delta.com

Sametta.c.barnett @delta.com

Robert Wirick

American Airlines, Inc.

1101 Seventeenth Street, N.W.

Suite 600

Washington, D.C. 20036

r obert.wirick@aa.com

John L. Richardson

Joan Canny

Counsel fo r Amerijet International

John L. Richardson, P.L.L.C.

555 13 th Street, N.W.

Suite 420 West

Washington, D.C. 20004

jrichardson@johnlrichardson.com

j Canny@amerijet.com

Kelli Bryan

Ranjit Seth

Robert F oster

Charter Sales

Evergreen International Airlines, Inc.

3850 Three Mile Lane

McMinnville, OR 97128

charters@evergreenairlines.com

r anjit.seth@evergreenairlines.com

chris.schuldt@evergreenhelicopters.com

p hilip.Church@evergreenhelicopters.com

Robert.fo ster@evergreenairlines.com

Malcolm L. Benge

Counsel for World Airways

Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger LLP

888 17 th Street, N,W.

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20006

mlbenge@zsrlaw.com2 Angeline Garbuzinski

Legal and Regulatory Affairs

Federal Express Corpora tion

3620 Hacks Cross Road

Building B, 3 rd Floor

Memphis, TN 38125

anbird@fedex.com

cefelts@fedex.com

Pierre Murphy

Counsel for Brendan Airways, L.L.C.

d/b/a USA 3000 Airlines

1200 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.

Sui te 590

Washington, D.C. 20036

- 6802

pmurphy@lopmurphy.com

Timothy Erickson

Safety and Regulatory Affairs

Air Transport International LLC

2800 Cantrell Road

Little Rock, AR 72202

timothy.erickson @airtransport. cc

Howard Kass

Managing Director & Associate General

Counsel

US Airways

1401 H Street, N.W.

Suite 1075

Washington, D.C. 20006

Howard. kass@usairways.com

John M. Allen

Director

Flight Standards Service

Federal Aviation Administration

800 Independen ce Avenue, S.W.

Room 821

Washington, D.C. 20591

john.allen @faa.gov

Aaron Goerlich

Counsel for Allegiant Air, Ryan

International Airlines and Southern Air

Garofalo Goerlich Hainbach PC

1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW

Suite 800

Washington, D.C. 20036

- 6802

agoerlich @ggh

- airlaw.com Robert P. Silverberg

Jeffrey Johnson

Counsel for ABX Air

Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, L.L.P.

1101 30th Street, N.W.

Suite 120

Washington, D.C. 20007

rsilverberg@sgbdc.com

jjohnson@ sgbdc.com

Marshall S. Sinick

Counsel for Alaska Airlines and Florida

West International Airways

Squire, Sanders & Dempsey

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Suite 500

Washington, D.C. 20004

msinick@ssd.com

Russell E. Pommer

Associate General Counsel and

Director of Regulatory Affairs

Atlas Air, Inc.

1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Suite 875

Washington, D.C 20006

rpommer@at lasair.com

Mark W. Atwood

Counsel for Kalitta Air and Xtra Airways

Cozen O’Connor

Army Navy Building

1627 I Street, NW

Suite 1100

Washington, D.C. 20006

matwood@cozen.com

ldunn@xtraairways.com

Jonathan B. Hill

C ounsel for Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue

Dow Lohnes

1200 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.

Suite 800

Washington, DC 20036

- 6802

jhill@dowlohnes .com

John S. Fredericksen

Vice President and General Counsel

MN Airlines, LLC dba Sun Country

Airlines

1300 Mendo ta Heights Road

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

john.fredericksen@suncountry.com3 Joanne W. Young

Counsel for Spirit Airlines

Kirstein & Young PLLC

1001 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Suite 600 South

Washington, DC 20004

jyoung@yklaw.com

John R. Mietus, Jr.

Couns el for Centurion Air Cargo and Trade

Winds Airlines

Law Office of John Mietus, LLC

6701 Democracy Boulevard

Suite 300

Bethesda, MD 20817

john@mietuslaw.com Kevin Montgomery

Peter Beckett

Polar Air Cargo, Inc.

1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Suite 875

Washington, D.C 20006

kevin.montgomery@ polaraircargo.com

peter.beckett@polaraircargo.com

Michael F. Goldman

Counsel for Capital Cargo International

Airlines

Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, L.L.P.

1101 30th Street, N.W.

Suite 120

Washington, D.C. 20007

mgoldman@sgbdc.com

_________________________ David M. Endersbee