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U . S , D epa rt m en t o f T r a n s p o rt atio n O f f i ce o f the S e c r eta ry o f Tra n sp o rt a ti on 12 00 Ne w Je rs ey A ve n u e, SE Wash i ngton, DC 20 590 G E N ERA L CO UN SE L J une 1 7 , 2013

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### .- A n i t a M, Me s n e r Co u n s e l f

or Vir g in A tl an ti c A irw ays. L t d . H ol l an d & Kn i g h t 

### L L P 8 00 1 7 th

_ t N W S te 1 1 00 Was h i n gt on . D C 2000 6 R c : E qu i v al e nt A l te rn ativ e De tcrmi n ati . n Re qu est Co nc e rning 1 4 C F R 382. 6 1 D e ar M s . Mo n e r : Thi s le tt er co n c ern s the Marc h 1 3 . 2 0 12 . requ es t or V i r g i n A tl an ti c A i rw ay s . Lr d . . ( V irgi n Atl an ti c) tor an equival e nt a l tern ati v e d e t erminati o n c on c e rni ng the m o v ab le ai s l e armre s t re quir e m e n t c o n t ain ed i n 14 CF R 3 8 2 . 6 1 o f the Dcparrrn e ru s A ir C arrie r Acc e s s Ac t ( f \ CAA ) r eg u l ati on as i t ap p l ies t o the p r e miu m e co n o my c l a s s scat s i n it s Ai rbus A 330 - 30 0 (G -V S XY and G - V K SS) ai rc r af t. On N o v e mb e r 1 4 . ~ O ll . th e De p artm e nt g ran t e d a r eq u e s t b y V i rg i n A tl anti c f

o r an e qui valen t alternati v e d e t e rmin ati o n co n ce rni ng th e 1 11 0 0 ' ab l e ai s l e armres t r e quire m e nt f or th e p r e mi um ec o n o my c l a s s seat s on th e Ai rb u s 1 \ 330 - 3 0 0 ai rcr af t des cri b e d in it s J anu ary 13 , 2 0 1 1 . app l i cati on . W e are m o di fy i n g that equiv al en t alt e rn ati ve ap p r o v al t o co ve r any A i rbu s 1 \330 -3 0 0 airc r af t w i th premiu m e c o n o my cla ss s eating co n f i g ur atio n s an d d im e n s i ons a s d e s c ri b e d eith er in Vi r g i n A tl anti c ' s J anuary J 3 . ~ O J I . or i n it s M arc h 1 3 .2 0 I ~ . appl i c ati on , S e ction 382 .6 1 (1 ) re qu i r e s carri e r s t o e n s u re th at " ai r c raft wi th 30 o r m o r e passenger s cat s o n w h i c h passe ng er ai s l e s e at s have armre sts ar c e qu ipped with m o v able ai s le armre s t s o n at l e a l o n e -hal f o f the ai sl e s c at s i n r o w s i n w hich pa s s eng e r s with m o b i li ty i mpairme n t s are p e rmi tt e d t o s it u nd e r FAA or app l i cab le f o r e ig n g o ve rnm e nt s af ety rul e s . " I Se c ti o n 382. 6 1 (e ) no t e s th at m ovab l e ai s l e armr e s t s mu s t b e " p r o vi d e d prop o rtio n ately in al l c l a ss e s

I The De p a ru ne nt s Off ic e o f A v i a t i on En f o rcem e n t a n d P ro c e e d i ng s (E nforc e m e nt Off i c e) h a s l o n g h e l d t ha t [ h e p a ss enge r s e atin g c ap a c ity o f an airc r aft i s t h e m a nuf ac t urer' s m ax i m u m de s i g n e d s eating c apacity of a g i v e n ai rcr aft t ype , Th e re fore . U c a rr i er Il l a ~ n o t av o i d comp l i a n ce wi t h t he ai rc r aft a c c e s s ibi li ty req u ire m ent or P art ' 8 2 b : - r e d uc i n g t h e n um b er o f . c a t s o n an a i r cr af t o r o rd e r i ng an a i rcr af t \ \ ith f e w er sea t s th a n it s de s ign e d s e a t i ng ca paci ty . F o r e x a mp le , i f a m anu f act u rer d e s i g n s a n a i r c r aft . 

## t : p c t o h o l d a m a x i mu m o f I 1 0 p a ss e n ge r sea t s , th e Enfo r ce m e nt O ff ic e w o u l d tr e a t the airc r aft a s an al r cr a t t w ith a passe n g e r s cat ing c a p a c i ty 

## o r 1 1 0 e v e n il a ca r r i e r s ti p u l a tes t hat t h e airc r a ft is t o b e de l i ve r ed w ith 9 9 se at s or t ake s d elive ry ofu n a i rcr a f t w i t h I 1 0 s ea t s a n d t h e n r e m o v es I I se a ts .

### 2 of s erv i c e i n th e c abin. ·· ~ Furth e rm o r e . th e E nf o rc e m e nt Offic e ha s int e rpr ete d m o v abl e ai s l e armre s t 

### a s m eani ng 

### an armr es t on 

### an ai s l e se at that compl e t e ly mov es 

### o r f o l d s 

### o ut 

# o r the way w h i l e th e s eatback rem ain s in an upright p os i ti o n to permit a pas se ng e r with a m o bi l ity 

### imp airm ent t o s af

e l y make an un o b s truct e d t ra n s f e r 

### ( w ith assis t ance f rom c arri e r p e r so nn e l if the pa s seng e rs p h ys i ca l ab i li ty necess i tate s s u ch a ss i s tance ) b e tween an aisl e whe e lc h air and h i s or h e r ai r cr aft s eat . In it s Mar c h 1 3 , 2 0 1 2 . e quiv a l e nt a l t e rn ati v e d e t e rminati on requ es t . V irgin A tl anti c ass ert s that s eats 18 C and 1 8H i n its A i rbu s A33 0- 30 0 (G - VSXY an d G - VKSS ) aircra f t have s u ffici e nt s p a ce t o e a s il y tr an s f e r per so n s w i th mob i lity i mpairments t o and fr o m tho se seat s with o ut havin g t o ti n th e m ove r th e f ix e d ai s l e armr es t s . A c co rdingl y . Virgin A tlan tic c o nt en d s th at thes e se at s provid e an eq ui va l ent alt e rn ati v e t o the movab l e ai s le armrest r e quir eme n t o f se cti o n 382. 6 1, T he Dep artment h as r ev i e w e d V i rgin A tl antic' s de s c ri pti o n of i ts pr e mium ec o n o my class seat s and th e ai r c r a ft c o nfi g urati on d i a g r am f or it s - v i rbu s A3~O - 300 (G - V S XY and G VKSS ) ai rcraft T h e Dep artm e nt ha s a l so r e view e d V irgin A tl an tic's video s . wh i ch d e m o n str ate a c arri er-as s ist ed transf er o f a p e r so n with a m obi lity impairmen t f r om a board in g w h ee l chai r to seat s 18C an d 18 H on th e se airc r aft. T h e s e vi d eo s d e monstrat e that s uch pas s e n ger s d o n o t h a v e to be l if t e d o v e r th e ai sle armr e s ts . B a s ed o n th e i nf orm ati o n pro v ided f

o r th e p r emium eco n omy cl ass s eat s i n th es e ai rcra f t. th e Dep artm e nt i s modi tying i t s No v e mb e r 1 4 . 20 I I . eq uiva l e n t a l t e rnative appro v al f o r se c ti on 382. 6 1 to c o ver an y A i rbu s A3 3 0 -3 00 ai rcr a f t wi th pr e mium eco n o my cl ass seatin g c o nfigurati o n s an d d imens i on s as descri bed eith er in V i rg in Atlanti c's J anu ary 1 3 , 2 0 11 , and or i n i ts March 1 3. 2012. ap pl i c ati o n s w i th th e f o l l ow i n g c on d i ti o n s: ( I ) T hi s ap p rov a l i s limi ted t o the premium e c o n o my c l as s se at s in Virgin A tlantic" s A irbu s A330 - 300 ai r c r aft wi th th e c o nfigur ati o n s and d im e n s i ons d es crib e d e ither in it s January 13.2 0 1 L or i n i ts March 13.2012 . e qu i va l ent alternati v e d e t e rminati o n r eq u e s ts, Virg in A tl an tic mu s t o bt ai n th e D e p artment ' s p ri o r ap p ro v al to r an y seatco n fig u ration c h an ge s and/or se at - dimens i on c h an g es t o be m ade on th e s e air c r a f t . I f V irgin Atl antic imp l e m e n ts se at - con f i gur ati o n an d/o r s e at - d im e n s i o n ch anges to the s e aircraf

t w i th out pri o r appro v al of th e D e p artm e nt . i t ri s k s b ei n g in vi olati o n of s ec ti o n 3 82,6 1 : ( 2 ) Vi r gi n A tl anti c must pr o vide . o r ens u re the p r o v i s ion of s p e c i ali ze d t r a imng to it s emp l oye e s an d co n tr ac t ors . as w ell a s th e e mpl oyees an d c o n tr ac t o r s 

# o r an y o the r entity th at w i l l b e tran s ferrin g p e r s ons w i th m o bil i ty i mp ai rm ent s t o o r f r o m th e d es ign ate d pr e mium e c o no my c l ass s eat s i n th e c ove r ed ai rcr a ft . T h e s peci a li ze d training mu st e n s u r e trai ning to p r o f i c i e ncy i n h ow t o pr operl y tr an s fer a pa ss e n g e r to and f r om these pr e mium ec o nomy c l ass s eat s. Such trai n in g mus t a l s o co v e r . at a mi n imum (A) th e pr op e r use o f a l l ite in s need e d t o tran sfe r a p asse n ge r t o an d from th e s e premi u m economy cla s s s eats ( e . g. , tr an s f e r bo ard and s ling /harn ess ): ( 8 ) the

2 fo r e xamp l e, i f 80 percent of the ai s le s e at s in w hich p assen g e r s w ith m ob i lity i mpairme n t s m ay s i t are i n c ou ch un c i 20 pe r ce n t ar e i n f i r s t c l a s s . th e n at l ea s t 8 0 p e r c en t o r th e ai s le scats i ll co a ch mu st h a v e m o vable ai s le armr es t s , an d at l eas t 2 0 per c en t of th e ai s l e s e at s i ll fir s t cla ss mu s t h a v e m o v abl e ai s le armr e s t s , 'nu mbe r o f pe r so n s n ee d e d t o pe rf o rm th e tr an s fer : (C) h ow t o ope r at e pro p erl y th ese p r e mi u m e co n o my c la ss seats (e. g .. l o cati on an c l u se o f c o n tr ol bu tt on s): an d ( D ) h ow t o tr an s fer a pa ss e n ge r to an d f r om th ese p r e mium e con o my c l ass seat s in a safe an d di g n i f

i e d mann e r : an d (3) V ir g in Atl anti c mu s t ( A) p rov i de . o r e n s u r e th e p roVIS I On of . annu a l r ef r e s h e r tr ain i n g : ( 8 ) r e tain fo r thr ee y e ar s indi v idual s ' tr aini ng r e cor d s dem on s tr ati n g th at al l per so n s r e qu i r e d t o r e cei ve i n i ti al and r ef re s h er trainin g ha v e c l o ne s o: and ( C) w i thi n 30 d ays af

t er eac h c al en d ar qu art e r. fo r a pe ri od o f thr ee y ear s 

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i c e wi th c opies o f all comp l ai nt s. or c erti ficati on th at th ere w e r e n o c o mp l ai n t s . r e gardi n g passe ng e r tr an sfe r s t o an d f r o m th e d es i gnat e d pr e mium e con o my cl ass sc at s in th e cove r e d air craf t. 

### I f yo u h ave an y ques ti o n s abo ut th i s m att e r . p l eas e c o nt a c t 

### R . Ja s on Mi l l er o r K athl ee n B l ank R i . : ther ofmv s t aff. at (2 0 2 ) 3 66 - 934 2. Si n c e r e l y . Liv a u g C h apm an, J r . C h i ef A vi ati o n C i v i l R i gh ts Co mpl i ance B ran c h