BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

)

Application of )

)

LASER AIRLINES, C.A. ) Docket OST-2011-0190

)

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

and a foreign air carrier permit )

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 41302 )

(U.S.-Venezuela) )

 )

ANSWER OF SPIRIT AIRLINES, INC. 

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to:

Joanne W. Young

David M. Kirstein

Kirstein & Young, PLLC

1750 K Street, N.W. 

Suite 200

Washington, D.C. 20006

(202) 331-3348 (telephone)

(202) 331-3933 (facsimile)

Attorneys for

SPIRIT AIRLINES, INC.

Date: October 26, 2011
BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

)

Application of )

)

LASER AIRLINES, C.A. ) Docket OST-2011-0190

)

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

and a foreign air carrier permit )

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 41302 )

(U.S.-Venezuela) )

 )

ANSWER OF SPIRIT AIRLINES, INC. 

Spirit Airlines, Inc. (“Spirit”) hereby answers the application for an exemption 

and permit submitted on October 11, 2011 by Laser Airlines, C.A. (“Laser”), a 

Venezuelan air carrier, seeking authority for scheduled and charter foreign air 

transportation between Caracas, Venezuela and Fort Lauderdale, Florida and charter 

combination service between various points in Venezuela and Fort Lauderdale.

Spirit does not object to Laser’s request provided that the government of 

Venezuela first permits Spirit to engage in bilaterally-authorized combination service 

between Fort Lauderdale and Caracas. The Department granted an exemption to Spirit to 

serve the Fort Lauderdale-Caracas route by Notice of Action Taken in DOT-OST-2006-

26438 on November 27, 2006, this exemption was renewed on September 1, 2009 and 

incorporated into Spirit’s Certificate of Public Convenience by Order 2010-1-12 on 

January 15, 2010. In 2007 Spirit submitted a complete application for authority from the 
Answer of Spirit Airlines, Inc.

DOT-OST-2011-0190

Page 2

Venezuelan aviation authority, El Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil (“INAC”). 

However, despite its best efforts and fulfilling all necessary filing requirements Spirit’s

application with INAC remains pending after four years. 

In these circumstances, the Department must defer action on Laser’s requests in 

this docket until the Government of Venezuela grants approval of Spirit’s long delayed

Fort Lauderdale-Caracas service – which is authorized by the U.S.-Venezuela Air 

Transport Agreement.

Respectfully submitted,

October 26, 2011

Joanne W. Young

David M. Kirstein

Kirstein & Young, PLLC

1750 K Street, N.W. 

Suite 200

Washington, D.C. 20006

(202) 331-3833

(202) 331-3933

Attorneys for

SPIRIT AIRLINES, INC.
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that I have this 26th day of October, 2011 served the foregoing 

“Answer of Spirit Airlines, Inc.” by email on the following persons:

gmurphy@crowell.com

rpommer@atlas.com

ben.graves@evergreenairlines.com

charters@evergreenairlines.com

slachter@lachter-clements.com

nssparks@fedex.com

matwood@cozen.com

kevinmontgomery@polaircargo.com

anitamosner@hklaw.com

jennifer.nowak@hklaw.com

steve.morrissey@united.com

dan.weiss@coair.com

sametta.c.barnett@delta.com

sascha.vanderbellen@nwa.com

efaberman@wrf.com

msinick@ssd.com

cdonley@ssd.com

anbird@fedex.com

carl.nelson@aa.com

kevin.montgomery@polaraircargo.com

jrichardson@johnlrichardson.com

mroller@rollerbauer.com

howard_kass@usairways.com

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com

mlbenge@zsrlaw.com

jhill@dlalaw.com

mgoldman@sgbdc.com

rsilverberg@sgbdc.com

dhainbach@ggh-airlaw.com

William.stallings@usdoj.gov

dwight.moore@ustranscom.mil

brian.hedberg@dot.gov

john.allen@faa.gov

urskr@state.gov

 ___________________________________

 Lyndsey M. Grunewald