BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O FTH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . 

### ^^ARTWENTO F •'-:TO:^cRATiOM S

Applicatio n o f ALASK A CENTRA LEXPRESS , INC . fo r reissuanc e o f

it s certificat e o f

publi c convenienc e an dnecessit y pursuan t t o 4 9 U.S.C. § 4110 2 Docke t DOT-GST-1996-165 7

MOTIO N O FALASK A CENTRA LEXPRESS , INC . FO RCONFIDENTIA LTREATMEN T PURSUAN T T O RUL E 1 2 Communication s wit hrespec t t o thi s docimien t

may b e serve dupon : Michae l A . Berg t Presiden t ALASKA CENTRA LEXPRESS , INC . 590 1 Lockhee dAvenu e Anchorage , Alask a9950 2 Rober t P . Silverberg , Esq . SILVERBERG , GOLDMA N & BIKOFF , L.L.P . 110 1 30thStreet , N.W . Suit e 12 0 Washington , D.C . 2000 7 Tel : (202 ) 944-330 0 Fax : (202 ) 944-330 6 Email : rsilverberg@sgbdc.co m Attorney s for ALASK A CENTRA LEXPRESS , INC .

Date : Novembe r

12 , 201 0BEFOR E TH E DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O FTH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . Applicatio n o f ALASK A CENTRA LEXPRESS , INC . fo r reissuanc e o f

it s certificat e o f

publi c convenienc e an dnecessit y pursuan t t o 4 9 U.S.C . §4110 2 Docke t DOT-OST-1996-165 7

MOTIO N O FALASK A CENTRA LEXPRESS . INC . FO RCONFIDENTIA LTREATMEN T PURSUAN T T O RUL E 1 2 Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . ("Alask aCentral" ) hereb y moves , pursuan t t o Rul e 1 2 o f th e Department' s Rule s o f Practic e (1 4 C.F.R . § 302.12) , t o withhol dfro mpubli c disclosur e certai n confidentia l financial informatio n bein g filedunde r seal herewith . Alask aCentra l i s filing concurrentl y i n thi s Docke t an applicatio n for

afitness determinatio n an dreissuanc e o f it s certificat e o f

publi c convenienc e an dnecessity t o permi t Alask aCentra l t o engag e i n schedule dinterstat e ai r transportatio n o f

passengers . I n fiirther

suppor t o f it s application , Alask aCentra l i s filing wit hth e Departmen t a projecte dprofi t

an dlos s statemen t

an dstatemen t

o f cas hflows for

th e 201 1 calendar

year tha t tak e int o accoun t

it s propose dschedule dpassenge r flights an dothe r

operations . Alask aCentra l hereb y request s confidentia l treatmen t for th e revenu e an dne t

incom e projection s i n th e forecas t profi t an dlos s statemen t

an dfor th e statemen t

o f cas hflows. Thes e financial document s ar e enclose di n th e attache dseale denvelope .Motio n o f Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . Novembe r

12,201 0 Pag e 2 In further

suppor t o f thi s motion , Alask aCentra l state s a s follows : Pursuan t t o 1 4 C.F.R . § 302.12 , participant s i n an y proceedin g befor e th e Departmen t

ma y reques t

tha t informatio n submitte dt o th e Departmen t no t b e disclose dt o th e publi c i f

tha t informatio n fall s withi n on e o f th e exemption s fro mdisclosur e i n th e Freedo mo f

Informafio n Act , 5 U.S.C . § 552(b)(l)-(9 ) ("FOIA") . Alask aCentra l submit s tha t th e informatio n for

whic hi t seek s confidentia l treatmen t fall s withi n § 552(b)(4 ) o f FOI A ("Exemptio n 4") . Exemptio n 4 protect s fro mdisclosur e "trad e secret s an dcommercia l o r financial informatio n obtaine dfro maperso n an dprivilege do r confidential. " Exemptio n 4 ha s bee n hel dt o includ e "informatio n tha t i s not th e typ e usuall y release dt o th e publi c an di s o f th e typ e that , i f

release dt o th e public , woul dcaus e substantial har mt o th e competitiv e positio n o f

th e perso n fromwho mth e informatio n wa s obtained. " Gul f & Western Industries . Inc . v . Unite dStates . 61 5 F.2 d527 , 53 0 (D.C . Cir . 1980) ; se e als o America n Airlines . Inc . v . NMB . 58 8 F.2 d863 , 87 1 (2"' ' Cir . 1978) ; Nationa l Park s & Conservatio n Ass'n . V . Kleppe . 54 7 F.2 d673 , 68 4 (D.C . Cir . 1976) ; Join t Applicatio n o f

Delt aan d Virgi n Atiantic . Orde r

94-5-4 2 (May 28 , 1994) ; Join t Applicatio n o f

Unite dan d Lufthansa , Orde r

93-12-3 2 (Decembe r

18 , 1993) ; Join t

Applicatio n o f

Northwes t

an d KLM , Orde r

93-1-1 1 (January 8 , 1993) . Exemptio n 4 i s designe d"t o protec t th e confidentiality o f

informatio n whic hcitizen s provid e t o thei r government , but

whic h woul dcustomaril y not

b e release dt o th e public , an dt o facilitat e citizens ' ability t o confid e i n thei r

government. " Burk e Energ v Corp . v . Dept . o f Energy , 58 3 F.Supp . 507 ,Motio n o f Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . Novembe r

12,201 0 Pag e 3 51 0 (D . Kan . 1984) ; Sterlin g Drug . Inc . v . Federa l Trad e Commission . 45 0 F.2 d698 , 70 9 (D.C . Cir . 1971) . I n orde r t o fal l withi n Exemptio n 4 , th e informatio n a t issu e mus t

be : (1 ) commercia l o r

financial i n nature ; (2 ) obtaine dfromaperso n outsid e th e government ; an d(3 ) privilege do r

confidential . Se e Publi c Citize n HealthResearc hGrou p v . FDA . 70 4 F.2 d1280 , 129 0 (D.C . Cir . 1983) ; Gul f & Western . 61 5 F.2 dat 529 . Th e informatio n for

whic hconfidentia l treatmen t i s sough t

i n thi s motio n clearl y meet s thi s three-part test . Withrespec t

t o th e first

pron g o f

th e test , th e informatio n for whic hAlask a Central seek s confidentia l treatmen t i s clearl y commercia l o r financial i n natur e (i.e. , revenu e projection s containe di n aprofi t an dlos s statemen t

an dstatemen t

o f cas hflows). Withrespec t

t o th e secon dpron g o f

th e confidentiality test , i t i s axiomati c tha t

th e informatio n at

issu e ha s bee n "obtaine dfro maperso n outsid e th e government " havin g bee n submitte dt o th e Departmen t b y Alask aCentral . Finally , withrespec t

t o th e thir delemen t

o f th e tes t (th e "confidential " natur e o f th e information) , th e D.C . Circui t ha s hel dtha t

acommercia l o r

financial matte r

i s "confidential " fo r

purpose s o f

Exemptio n 4 i f

i t woul dnot

customaril y b e release dt o th e publi c b y th e perso n fro mwho mi t wa s obtaine dan di f

disclosur e o f

th e informatio n i s likel y t o hav e eithe r

o f th e followin g effects : (1 ) t o impai r th e Government' s ability t o obtai n necessary informatio n i n th e future ; o r (2 ) t o caus e substantia l har mt o th e competitiv e positio n o f

th e perso n fro mwho mth e informatio n wa s obtained . Nationa l Park s & Conservatio n Ass'n . v . Morton . 49 8 F.2 d765 , 77 0 (D.C . Cir . 1974) .Motio n o f Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . Novembe r

12 , 201 0 Pag e 4 Alask aCentra l submit s tha t th e informatio n fo r

whic hconfidentia l treatmen t i s sough t herei n clearl y meet s th e definitio n o f "confidential. " Thi s typ e o f forecas t revenu e informatio n i s highl y proprietar y an dconfidential , an dwoul dnot normall y b e mad e availabl e t o th e public . Nevertheless , Alask aCentra l i s providin g thi s confidentia l informatio n t o th e Departmen t s o tha t th e DO T ca n fiilfill it s statutory dut y t o asses s th e fitness o f Alask aCentra l t o initiat e schedule dpassenge r operations . In addition , disclosur e o f thi s informatio n woul dcaus e substantia l har mt o th e competitiv e positio n o f Alask aCentral . Knowledg e o f suc hdetaile dfinancial informatio n woul dpermi t acompetito r

t o mak e strategi c judgment s - t o th e detrimen t o f Alask aCentra l - base do n dat atha t i t woul dno t

otherwis e hav e acces s to . Indeed , th e Departmen t

ha s previousl y grante dconfidentia l treatmen t t o revenu e projection s containe di n aforecas t

profi t an dlos s statemen t

an dt o aforecas t

statemen t

o f cas hflows submitte db y Alask aCentra l i n connectio n withit s prio r applicatio n for

passenge r

charte r authority . Se e Orde r

t o Sho w Caus e Proposin g Reissuanc e o f Certificate , Orde r

2007-3

- 25 , issue dMarc h30 , 2007 , pag e 7 . Moreover , disclosur e o f thi s informatio n migh t impai r th e Government' s abilit y t o obtai n similar informatio n fro mai r

carrier s i n th e fiiture thu s hinderin g th e Government' s ability t o asses s th e fitness o f othe r carriers .Motio n o f Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . Novembe r

12 , 201 0 Pag e 5

WHEREFORE , Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . respectfull y move s th e Departmen t o f Transportation , pursuan t t o Rul e 1 2 o f

th e Department' s Rule s o f Practice , t o withhol d frompubli c disclosur e th e confidentia l financia l informatio n tha t i s bein g submitte d unde r seal wit hthi s motion . Respectfiill y submitted ,

SILVERBERG , GOLDMA N & BIKOFF , L.L.P . Attorney s fo

r 

### ALASK ACENTRAL EXPRESS , INC . 

# By : 

# A±'

- Robert P . Silverber g Dated : Novembe r

12,201 0CERTIFICAT E O FSERVIC E I hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e o n thi s 12"^ day o f Novembe r

2010 , serve dth e foregoin g Motio n o f

Alask aCentra l Express , Inc . for Confidentia l Treatmen t b y firstclas s mai l o n th e following : Hug hA . McLaughli n Manager , Fligh t

Standard s Distric t

Offic e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n 30 0 Wes t 36thAvenue , Suit e #10 1 Anchorage , Alask a9950 3 Mar c Luike n Deputy Commissione r

o f Aviatio n Alask aDepartmen t

o f Transportatio n & Publi c Facilitie s P.O . Bo x 11250 0 Juneau , A K

99811-250 0 

# /2j^ f Rober t P . Silverber g