BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

_____________________________________ )

Application of )

)

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC. ) Docket OST

- 2009

- 020 2

)

For renewal of e xempti on a uthority between )

the United States and Nassau, Bahamas )

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 )

_____________________________________ )

APPLICATION OF AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC.

F OR RENEWAL OF EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

Communications with respect to this document should be sent to:

Bob Jordan Robert W. Kneisley

President Associate General Counsel

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC. Leslie C. Abbott

9955 AirTran Boulevard Senior Attorney

Orlando, FL 32827 SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

1901 L Street, N.W., Suite 640

Washington, D.C. 20036

bob.kneisley@wnco.com

(202) 263

- 6284

January 10 , 20131 BEFORE THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

_____________________________________ )

Application of )

)

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC. ) Docket OST

- 2009

- 0202

)

For renewal of E xempti on A uthority between )

the United States and Nassau, Bahamas )

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 )

_____________________________________ )

APPLICATION OF AIRTRAN AIRWAYS, INC.

FOR RENEWAL OF EXEMPTION AUTHORITY

P ursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 and Subpart C of Part 302 (14 C.F.R.)

, AirTran

Airways, Inc. (“AirTran”) 1 hereby files this Application for Renewal of Exemption

A u t h o r i t y with the Department of Transportation (“DOT” o r “the Department” ) to allow

AirTran to continue to provide scheduled foreign air transportation of per sons, property

,

and mail between points in the Unit ed States and Nassau, Bahamas

. By Order dated

September 4, 2009 , the Department granted AirTran authority to serve Nassau,

Bahamas

. DOT renewed the exemption authority for a two year period by Notice of

Action Taken on April 18, 2011 in this Docket

. The current exemption is scheduled to

expire on April 18, 2013

. 2 To ensure no interruption of scheduled service, AirTran

respectfully requests prompt renewal of its exemption authority for a minimum of two

years

.

1 AirTran Airways, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co.

2 To the extent necessary, AirTran relies upon the automatic extension provisions of 5 U.S.C. § 558(c) to maintain the

subject authority in effect beyond the expiration date, pending DOT action on this Application.2

Renewal of the subject exemption is in the public interest for the same reasons

that supported the original issuance of authority to provide service to the Bahamas

.

AirTran currently serves Nassau from Baltimore

- Washington International Airport (BWI),

and Atlanta (ATL). AirTran’s service has provided consumers in each of these markets

with high

- quality, low

- cost travel options and low

- fare competition . AirTran provides this

service with Stage III Boeing 737

- 700 aircraft configured for 137 seats . C ontinuation of

A i r T r a n ’ s U

. S

. - B a h a m a s service is c l e a r l y in the public interest.

AirTran continues to be fit, willing and able to conduct the services described in

this A pplication . In fact, the Department recently granted AirTran exemption authority to

provide service in several other international markets

. See , e.g.

, Dockets OST

- 2012

-

0190 (DEN

- SJD )

, OST

- 2012

- 0001 (MDW

- CUN), a nd OST

- 2011

- 0205 (SAT

- MEX)

.

AirTran requests that the Department take official notice, pursuant to Rule 24 of the

Department's Rules of Practice, of all data on file with the Department necessary t o

establish AirTran 's fitness.

The requested renewal of exemption authority is fully consis tent with aviation

agreement between the United States and the Bahamas

. AirTran requests that the

Department renew its authority so that it can continue to provide this service under the

Agreement

.3

WHEREFORE, AirTran Airways , Inc. resp ectfully requests renewal of its

exemption authority under 49 U.S.C. § 40109 for a minimum of two years to provide

scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between the United

States and Nassau, Bahamas

.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________ Robert W. Kneisley

January 1 0 , 20134 C ERTIFICATE OF SERVIC E

I hereby certify that on January 1 0 , 2013

, a copy of the foregoing was served via

e

- mail on the following persons:

msinick@ssd.com (Alaska Airlines)

francis.heil@aa.com (American Airlines)

Robert.wirick@aa.com (American Airlines)

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com (Delta Air Lines)

robert.cohn@hoganlovells.c om (Frontier Airlines)

Patrick.rizzi@hoganlovells.com (Frontier Airlines)

Robert.land@jetblue.com (JetBlue Airways

jhi ll@dowlohnes.com (JetBlue Airways & Hawaiian Airlines )

perkmann@dowlohnes.com (JetBlue Airways & Hawaiian Airlines)

dkirstein@yklaw.com (Spirit Airlines)

John.Fredericksen@suncountry.com (Sun Country Airlines)

dan.weiss@united.com (United Air Lines)

howard_kass@usairways.com (US Airways)

ben.slocum@usairways.com (US Airways)

pmurphy@lopmurphy.com (USA3000)

jegillick@zsrlaw .com (Virgin America)

barbara.russell@virginamerica.com (Virgin America)

susan.kurland@dot.gov

paul.gretch@dot.gov

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov

brian.hedberg@dot.gov

brett.kruger@dot.gov

info@airlineinfo .com

__________________________ Leslie C. Abbott