U.S
. Department of Transportation Office of th e Secretary of Transportation GENERAL COUNSEL March 11, 2013 1 200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Wash1ngton, DC 20590

Ce r t ified !\ Jail

- Return Rec e ipt R eq ue s t e d

I klen**\~ arn~:r**  Senior Corporate Counsel. 1 •• \
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Dc.:ar l\1 s. Warner: Re : Con fl i ct or 

### La " Wai\ e r Request Co n cerni n g 14 CFR 382.29

!'h is letter cnm:crns l. i \ , \ir linc s S . .'s tllb a L/\ Air lin es ( 1 .! \
. ) reque s t of Sep t ember I 0. 2008. f or a con 11 ict or lm\ '' ai' c r co m : erni n g the Depa rtm ent· s rcgulat ion regarding sak t:- assis tant s in 1-+ C l: R 382.29 or th e Department' s ir Car ri e r Access Act (t\C't\1\) regula ti on. I he Department is continu in g to cons ider LA ··s request !'or n eon ll ict or Ia'' ' ' ai,er co ncerning , · mious o th er pro\' i s ion s o r 14 CTR P a rt**]~C** (Part 1X2)
.**1./\~** asserts that a eon lli ct or 1<1" c\:is t s bcl\\ccn the dc l inition or .. sak ty ass i s tant. '' hi ch i s pn)\ idcd**b~** the lkp artment in th e Section-b) -Section Ana l) s i s discussion or s ection 3 8 2.29 (73 Fe d. R
.cg. at 276 -+9 -27650) and th e d e lini tio n or ass i sta nt ror a special need s. ill or disabled pa sse nger in Chile's C'i\ il ; \\ iation**\u horit** **~** ·.., Dircccio n <..icncral de /\eronauticn ('j, il Chile (1)(;/\('). DA · 3 82 .5. In th e preamble to Part ""82
.**afet~** ass i stant is de lined a s .. someo ne '' ho '" · ould ass i st th e pa ·s e n gcr to ex i t t he air c ra li in c:Jse o r a n**cm~:rgcnc:** e\ acuation or t o estab li s h com muni ca ti on \\ · ith ca rr ier pe rso nn el ror purposes or**th~:** required salCt) bricling
... DA N 382.5 deline s an ass i s t ant !' o r a spec ial needs
. i ll or disabled passe nge r a s a .. passenge r 

## or eig ht een ) ea rs o l' age or o ld er. w h o i s autonomous. '' it h out**~** imp ediment (or handicap). and accompanies another passenger '' ith a**di sabil** **it~.** i lln ess o r \\ ith specia l ne e d
. du rin g boarding
. t h e llight. or w h i l e d i se mbarkin g.·· 

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# IL asse rt s a co nfli c t be t wee n th e C hile a n definiti o n a nd th e d e finiti o n fo und in th e prea mble t o Pa n 3 8 2
. a r g uin g th a t co mpli a nce with se cti o n 3 8 2
. 29 ''il l pro hi b it the c a rri e r fr o m co mpl y in g with th e C hil ea n r eg ul ati o n. The De pa r t m e nt ti nds th e ca rri e r· s a r

g um e nt in thi s in s ta nce unp e r u as i vc. A a n initial ma tt e r. th e D epa rtm e nt no tes th a t a c o nfli c t o f la ws ca nn o t ex i t be twee n the l a ng ua ge in the pre a mb l e r ega r d in g sectio n 3 8 2
. 29 a nd D 3 82
. 5 as a m a tt e r o f la w . as th e defini ti o n of a fet y as i ta nt co nt a in ed in th e prea mbl e t o P a rt 3 8 2 is m e r

e l y int e rpr e ti ve. a nd no t w ithin the ac tu a l re g ul a t o ry te x t o f se cti o n 3 82
. 2 9. Furth e rm o r e. eve n if th e int e rpreti\' e de finiti o n o r s af e t

y ass is ta nt f o und in th e p rea mbl e to P a rt 3 82. w hi c h i s int e nded onl y a g uid a nce . had the f o rc e of a bin d in g r eg ul a ti o n. th e r e ' o uld s till be no c onni c t w ith th e C hile a n r eg ul atio n. In b o th th e ec ti o n o n Co ntli c t of La·w Wai ver s and E qui va l e nt A lternati e D ete rm inati o n s (73 Fe d. Reg. a t 2 7 6 1 6) a nd in th e S e cti o n-b y - ec ti o n A na l y is di sc u ss ion o f sec ti o n 3 8 2
. 9 ( 7 3 F e d. Re g. a t 2 7 6 -+ 6
- 276 4 7)
. w hich ar e f o und in th e prea mbl e to P a rt 3 8 2. \Ye s ta te th a t a f o r eig n la v; th a t r eq uire s a f o r e i

g n c a rrier to d o o m e thin g pro hibit ed by thi s r u le. o r th a t p r o hibit s a f o r e i g n ca rrier f r o m do in g s om ethin g requir ed by thi s rule. is a n ap prop ri a t e ubj ec t fo r a co nllict of la w wai ve r. T he d ef initi o n prov ided in the C hi lea n r eg u la ti o n. w h i le mo re pec itic a to who ma y se rve as a sa f e ty as is tant. doe s no t pr o hi b it LA fr o m e n s urin g th a t s af e t

y ass i tant s ca n ass i s t p ass en ge rs w ith ex itin g a n airc ra ft in c a e o f a n e m e rge nc y o r fr o m e s ta b li s hing c o mmuni c ation w ith carri e r pe r so nn e l f o r purp oses of required sa f ety bri e fing s . LA can co mpl y w ith b o th prov i s i o n a t th e am e time. a lo n g as the a ss i t a nt is 18 ye ar s o r o lde r and does not ha ve a di ab ilit y . T he r e f

o r e . h av in g f o und no co nnict o f l aw . th e Dep a rtm e nt mu s t den y L A · s co nni e ! o f l aw wa i ve r req ue s t to r ec ti o n 382.29. I

# r yo u have a ny q ues ti o n a b o ut thi ma tt e r. pl ea e c o ntact Maega n J o hn so n o r Ka thl ee n B l a nk- Ri e th e r. of my s ta rr. a t (202) 366

- 9283. in ce r e ly .

, mu e l Podb e r es ky Ass i s ta nt G e n e ra l Co un se l to r Av ia ti o n Enf o r ce m e nt a nd P rocee din gs