AFS-15-234-E

MAR 10, 2015

 Exemption No. 11200

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2014-1036

Mr. Al Madar

Managing Director of Operations Safety and Compliance 

American Airlines

4601 Highway 360 MD 843

Fort Worth, TX 76155

Mr. Ronald Thomas

Managing Director of Flight Operations 

US Airways

4601 Highway 360 MD 843

Fort Worth, TX 76155

Dear Messrs. Madar and Thomas:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our 

decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, 

including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated December 9, 2014, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

on behalf of American Airlines and US Airways (American Airlines) for an exemption from 

§ 121.291(b)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary to 

allow American Airlines to add airplanes to its operating certificate without first conducting a 

partial demonstration of the emergency evacuation procedures. 

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any 

delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to American Airlines. 
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The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to 

those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 9979 (copy enclosed), regarding 

the purchase of Northwest Airlines, Inc. by Delta Air Lines, Inc., the FAA found that the 

surviving certificate holder would be required to conduct the partial demonstrations. In 

exemption 9979, the FAA found that an equivalent level of safety would be maintained during 

the period of time between issuance of a single operating certificate and the conduct of the 

partial evacuation demonstrations, because only qualified Northwest Airlines flight attendants 

would serve these aircraft until the demonstrations were completed. 

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that—

 they are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Grant 

of Exemption No. 9979;

 the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 9979 also 

apply to the situation you present; and 

 a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113, and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, I hereby grant American Airlines an exemption from 

14 CFR 121.291(b)(1) to the extent necessary to allow American Airlines to add two 

airplanes to its operating certificate without first conducting a partial demonstration of the 

emergency evacuation procedures, subject to the conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations 

1. American Airlines must submit a plan to complete the Partial Evacuation 

Demonstration to the FAA in accordance with the guidance in 8900.1, Volume 3, 

Chapter 30, Section 1, paragraph 3-2464, for ERJ-190-100 and A330-243 no later 

than April 6, 2015. The plan must include a schedule of events that ensures that all 

evacuation demonstrations are completed within 24 months of January 4, 2014 or 

by January 04, 2016.

2. All crew member operating manual revisions, Aircraft Qualification (AQ), 

differences training will be completed and training qualification records updated 

prior to commingling flight attendant crewmembers.
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3. Until the partial evacuation demonstrations are completed on these aircraft, no 

cross-utilization of flight attendant crewmembers on the ERJ-190-100 and A330-

243 will be permitted. American Airlines flight attendants will not be scheduled on 

the ERJ-190-100 or A330-243 EMB-145 until the partial evacuation 

demonstrations have been completed. 

This exemption terminates on January 05, 2016, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/ John Barbagallo

Acting Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service