BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN TO F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . , •., ! I ;.,Lr . 1 V. '

Motio n o f COMAIR , INC . Fo rConfidentia l Treatmen t Unde rSectio n 302.1 2 Docke t OST-2003-1484 0

MOTIO N O F COMAIR , INC . T O WITHHOL D INFORMATIO N FRO M PUBLI C DISCLOSUR E Communication s wit h respect t o thi s documen t sinoul d b e sen t to : Alexande rVa n de rBelle n Managin g Directo rGovernmen t Affair s & Associat e Genera l Counse l DELTAAI R LINES , INC . 121 2 Ne wYor k

Avenue , N.W . Suit e 20 0 Washington , D C 2000 5 (202)842-418 4 sascha . vanclerbellen@delta . co m Specia l Counse l fo r COMAIR , INC .

Februar y21 , 201 2

### BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN TO F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . Motio n o f COMAIR , INC . Fo rConfidentia l Treatmen t Unde rSectio n 302.1 2 Docke t OST-2003-1484 0

MOTIO N O F COMAIR , INC . T O WITHHOL D INFORMATIO N FRO M PUBLI C DISCLOSUR E Pursuan t to 1 4 CF R 302.12 , Comair , Inc . {"Comair" ) hereb yfile s thi s Motio n t o Withhol d Fro m Publi cDisclosur

e certai n commerciall yan d competitivel ysensitive informatio n containe d i n Comair' s Form 4 1 Schedul e B-7 , Airfram e an d Aircraf t Engin e Acquisition s an d Retirement s fo rth e fourt h quarte ro

f2011 . Comai ri s require d to provid e th e confidentia l informatio n containe d i n Schedul e B-

7 pursuan t t o Par

t 24 1 ofth e Department' s Economi cRegulations , 1 4 CF R 241 . Th e informatio n fo rwhic h Comai ri s requestin g confidentia l treatmen t fall s withi n Exemptio n 3 o fth e Freedo m o fInformatio n Act 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(3) , whic h exempts fro m disclosur e informatio n require d b

ystatut e t o be withheld . Exemptio n 3 provides that ;

(b ) Thi s sectio n doe s no

t appl yt o matter

s that are .. . * * * 

### (3) specificall yexempte d fro m disclosur e b ystatut e {othe rtha n sectio n 552(b ) ofthi s title) , provide d that suc h statut e (A) require s that th e matter s to b e withhel d fro m th e publi ci n suc h a manne ras to leaven o discretio n o n th e issue , o r(B ) establishe s particula r criteri a fo rwithholdin g o rrefer s t o particula rtype s o f matter s t o b e withheld ; Sectio n 4011 5 o fTitl e 4 9 o fth e Unite d State s Code , formerl ySectio n 110 4 o fth e Federa l Aviatio n Act , provide s tha t th e Secretaryo fTransportation , upo n motion , shal l orde rinformatio n withhel d fro m publi cdisclosur e whe n disclosur e o fth e informatio n woul d "hav e a n advers e effect o n th e competitiv e positio n o fa n ai rcarrie ri n foreig n ai rtransportation. " Th e Departmen t ha s previousl yfoun d tha t th e aircraf t dat a reporte d o n For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 fo rwhic h Comai rherei n seeks confidentia l treatmen t woul d produc e th e har m specifie d i n Sectio n 40115. ^ Th e Department , i n grantin g confidentialit yt o United , stated :

Unite d compete s wit h foreign ai rcarrier s tha t d o no t report informatio n abou t th e cos t o fthei rindividua l airframe s an d aircraf t engines . Thi s iac k

o favailabl e aircraf t cos t informatio n fro m foreig n ai rcarrier s create s a n environmen t wher e foreign carrier s ar e abl e t o acces s U.S . carrie raircraf t cos t informatio n fro m th e Department' s publi crecords , bu t U.S . carrier s ar e unabl e t o acces s comparabl e dat a fo rthei rforeig n competitors . Thi s lac k o freciproca l acces s erode s th e competitivenes s o fUnite d vi s a vi s it s foreign competitors . Therefore , th e releas e o faircraf t inventor ycos t dat a reporte d o n United' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 ... , an d Schedul e 8-4 3 ... . woul d produc e th e har m specifie d i n Sectio n 1104 . Consequentl ythi s informatio n wil l b e withhel d fro m disclosur e unde rExemptio n 3 o f FOI Aan d Sectio n 110 4 o fth e Act . Lik e United . Comai rcompete s wit h foreig n carrier s tha t d o no t report informatio n abou t th e cos t o fthei rairframe s an d aircraf t engine s ye t are fre e t o obtai n U.S . carrie rinformatio n fro m th e Department . I t woul d b e damagin g t o Comai rt o requir e i t t o divulg e t o it s non-reportin g foreig n fla g competitor s th e fruit s o fit s competitiv e effort s wit h aircraft manufacturer s t o secur e th e bes t

^ See e^ , Lette ro

fOffice o fAirlin e Statistic

s grantin g Motio n o

fUnited Airlines , Inc. , date d Decembe r 29 , 1993 (Docke

t 48726) . Th e Departmen t also grante d confidentia l treatmen t t o Schedules B- 7 o fAmerica n (b ylette rdated Novembe r1,1993 , Docke t 48800) an d Delt

a (b ylette rdate d March 29,1993 , Docke t 48649) .possibl e purchas e price. ^

Th e Department , whe n decidin g United' s confidentialit ymotion , grante d Unite d a ten-yea r confidentia l perio d beginnin g o n th e dat e th e informatio n wa s require d t o b e filed pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 241,22(a) . Comai rrequest s simila rprotectio n wit h respect t o it s Schedul e B-7 , whic h i s bein g uploade d t o http://esubmit.rita.dot.aov . i n accordanc e wit h th e Department' s Fina l Rul e o n Submittin g Airlin e Dat a vi a th e Internet . WHEREFORE , Comai rrequest s tha t th e Department , pursuan t t o 1 4 CF R 302.1 2 an d 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(3 ) an d (4) , withhol d fro m publi cdisclosur e th e financial informatio n containe d i n Comair' s For m 4 1 Schedul e B- 7 fo ra perio d o fno t les s tha n te n years . Respectfull ysubmitted . Specia l Counse l fo r COMAIR , INC .

^ Comai rals o submit

s tha t th e informatio n sough t t

o b e withhel d fall s withi n Exemptio n 4 fro m th e Freedo m o

fInformatio n Act , 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(4) , whic h provides protectio n fro m disclosur e fo r"trad e secrets an d commercia l o rfinancia l informatio n obtaine d fro m a perso n an d privilege d o rconfidentia ! — " Th e requeste d informatio n containe d i n Comair' s Schedul e B- 7 satisf yal l thre e element

s require d fo rprotectio n unde rExemptio n 4 .