August 1 1

Mr. Marc Acting Ch Federal A 800 Inde p Washingt

Dear Mr.

Continen t effect at N because o airports d routine, p relief tha t

While Jo h
LGA are s rule (“HD that auth o condition

The Nati o and New a major sn o January 2

1 I n usage req u through F e unique ha r limited wa 19517 (Ap

2 S e

area airpo r

3 S e (Oct. 7, 20

4 S e http://ww w 5 S e 1
, 2011

Warren ief Counsel, A viation Admi n p endence Av e
on, DC 2059

Warren,

t al Airlines re N ew York La G

o f the repeat e d uring the pe r p redictable, n t the FAA pro

h n F. Kenned y ubject to FA A R”), each of t

o rizes the FA A s” that is be y

o nal Oceanic a

a rk, New Jers

o wstorms th a 5 through 27

n denying the A

u irements for D

e bruary 4, 201 1

r dship for som iver” so that t h ril 7, 2011).

e vere winter w

r ts for the Feb

e e 74 Fed. Re g 0 9) (EWR); an d

e e NOAA, “Sta t

w .ncdc.noaa. g

e e id. A GC

‐ 1

n istration

e nue, SW
1

spectfully re q G uardia Airp o

e d intense sn

r iod of Janua r

or within Co n vided in Feb r

y Internation a A

‐ issued oper

hose directiv
A to waiver t h
y ond the con t

a nd Atmosph

e y experienc e t struck the m period, 5 had

A ir Transport A
D CA and the t h
1
, FAA “ackno w

e carriers” an d h e agency cou

w eather cause d

ruary 5 throu g

. 51650 (Oct. 7 d 14 C.F.R. § 9 3

t e of Climate N
g ov/sotc/snow / q uests a limit
rt (“LGA”) fo r owfalls that s

r y 7 through F

n tinental’s c o

r uary 2010 fo

a l Airport (“J F ating limitati o

es contains a h is requirem e t rol of the air

eric Adminis t

e d the snowi e

m id

‐ Atlantic a

a direct imp a

A ssociation of A h ree NYC area

w ledge[d] tha t d “request[ed] ld “make a wa

d the FAA to w g h 15, 2010 pe r

7
, 2009) (JFK);
3 .227 (DCA).

N ational Snow / 2011/1. ed waiver of

r the individ u

s eriously disr
F ebruary 4, 2

o ntrol. Grant i

r similar disr u

F K”), Newark

o n orders an d

minimum 8 0

e nt in the ev e carrier. 3

t ration (“NO A

e st month of

a nd Northea s

a ct on Conti n

A merica’s req u airports for Ja n t nationwide w

that affected c iver determin a

aive its minim u

r iod. See 75 F e

74 Fed. Reg. 5

& Ice January the minimu m

u al days sho w

upted Conti n 2 011. 1 The re i ng of this re q

u ptions. 2

Liberty Inter n d DCA is subj e 0 percent us e

e nt of “highl y

A A”) reports t

January on r

s t regions tha

n ental’s oper a

u est for a gene

n uary 7 throu g

w eather during

c arriers submi

a tion on an in d

um slot usage

e d. Reg. 9017 (

1653 (Oct. 7, 2

2011,” availa b m slot usage r

w n on the att a

n ental’s oper a

sulting condi t
q uest is consi

n ational Airp o ect to the FA A

e requiremen t
y unusual an d

t hat, in 2011, ecord. 4 The s t month, occ

a tions at DC A

ral waiver of t
g h 18, 2011, a n

this period m a t an individual d ividual

‐ day b a

rules for DCA a (Feb. 26, 2010

2 009) (LGA); 7 4

b le at: r equirement s

a ched Appen d

a tions at the s tions were n o stent with th

o rt (“EWR”) a A ’s high den s t and a provi s d unpredicta b

New York Ci t

s econd of th e urring in the
A 6

, EWR and L

he minimum s

n d January 2

a y have creat e

request for a

a sis.” 76 Fed. R

and the three ).

4 Fed. Reg. 51 6 s in d ix

s e

o t

e

a nd

s ity

s ion b le

t y

e two

L GA,

lot

e d a

R eg.

NYC

6 48Mr. Marc August 1 1 Page 2 of

as did an o created a the coun t

As part o f advance t extraordi n allowed f o maintena the sever i airport in f and usag e and main t

Operatin g operatio n respect t o 2 and 3, 2
meet the

The restri

– in whic h from sno w

nor withi n Continen t

Please gi v

Respectf u

Michele B Director, A

cc: R

6 D Area Airp o Airports

‐ 1 1

7 N ice/nesis. p Warren
1
, 2011

3

o ther “major ”

n extended p t ry and inhibi t

f Continental ’

t o stop passe

n ary weathe r

o r reduced ai

nce crews gr e i ty and repet i f rastructure a

e performan c t enance eve n

g on its regul a

n al performa n

o the affecte d
2 011, created

usage requir e

cted operati o h there were

w , ice and re d

n Continent a t al a waiver f r

v e me a call a t

u lly submitte d

B oyce A irport Acce s

ob Hawks

CA was closed

o rts,” Jan. 27, 2
1 4692534.ht m OAA, “The No r p hp. ” snowstorm
p eriod of wid e t ed full reco v

’ s readiness f o

n gers from c o

r events wer e rcraft numb e

e ater access t i tiveness of t h

a nd ATC flow

c e. Continen t

n ts.

a rly

‐ publishe d

n ce and allo w d slots. Unf o

a situation i n

e ments.

o ns at DCA, L G often no arri v d uced visibili t

a l’s control. C

r om the mini

t (872) 825

‐ 8

d

,

s s

for operation s 2 011, availabl e

m l.

r theast Snowf a in the north e

e spread disr u

v ery before t h

o r these unp r

o ming to DC A

e expected to

e rs at the aff e t o infrastruc t h e storms, th had an unav o t al plans its s c

d schedule o n

w ed for Conti n

o rtunately, th e

n which a ver y

G A and EWR

v als or depar t
t y and ceiling
C ontinental t h

mum slot us a

675 if you ha

s the evening o

e at: http://w w

a ll Impact Scal e e ast in the Fe b

ptions that i m h e next event

r ecedented s t A
, LGA or EW R

occur. Addi t

e cted airport s t ure for ease o

ese proactiv e

o idable, neg a

c hedule such

n the affecte d

n ental to me e

e severe wea y small num b

during the p e t ures permit t

s , were cond i h erefore resp

a ge rules for t

ve any quest

o f January 26,

w w.nbcwashin g

e (NESIS),” av a bruary 1 thr o

m pacted Con
t occurred.

torms, flight s R or from bei

t ionally, thes e

s when the w of removing s

e measures a

a tive impact o

that there is

d days would

e t all applica b ther, particu l b er of all our s

e riod of Janu a t ed due to ru itions that w e p ectfully requ t he days sho w

ions or conc e

2011 due to t h
g ton.com/ne w

a ilable at: http : o ugh 3 perio d

tinental’s op e

s were proac t
ng stuck in t r

e proactive c a eather hit

– p

s now and ice imed to help

o n Continent a

a buffer for r

have resulte b le usage req u larly on Janu a

s lot holdings

a ry 7 throug h
nway and/or

e re not routi n ests that the

w n on the at t

e rns..

h is storm. See

w s/local/Snow

‐

://www.ncdc. n d

. 7 These sto r

e rations acro

t ively cancell e

r ansit when t h

a ncellations
p roviding

. But, becau s customers, c

a l’s operatio n

r outine weat h

d in greater

u irements wi

a ry 27, Febru

were not abl

h February 4,

taxiway clos

n e, predictab
FAA grant
t ached Appe n

“Snow Shuts D

‐ Shuts

‐ Down

‐ A

n oaa.gov/sno w r ms

ss

e d in h e

s e of

c rews,

n al h er

th
ary 1,

e to

2011

ures le,

n dix.

D own A rea

‐

w

‐ and

‐APPENDIX

Continental Flights on Days for which a Slot Usage Waiver is Requested:

Time Slot# Flt# Market Date
1230A 3582 5805 CLE 12

‐ Jan
1230A 3582 5804 CLE 26

‐ Jan
1230A 3582 5806 CLE 27

‐ Jan
1230A 3582 5807 CLE 1

‐ Feb
1230A 3582 5808 CLE 2

‐ Feb