BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

In the matter of

2010 U.S.-Haneda Combination Services Allocation Proceeding ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Docket DOT-OST-2010-0018

ANSWER OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. TO UNITED AIR LINES, INC.
Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to:

Andrea Fischer Newman Senior Vice President – Government Affairs DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 1212 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005

Alexander Van der Bellen Managing Director – Government Affairs & Associate General Counsel Jeff Morgan Regional Director – Government Affairs DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 1212 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 842-4184 sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

March 31, 2011BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

In the matter of

2010 U.S.-Haneda Combination Services Allocation Proceeding ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Docket DOT-OST-2010-0018

ANSWER OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. TO UNITED AIR LINES, INC.
Delta answers in opposition to United’s application for backup authority to

Delta’s U.S.-Haneda services. 1 Japan has suffered a tragedy of almost
unimaginable proportions. In the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake, tsunami,
and ongoing nuclear crisis, Delta temporarily suspe nded its two new Haneda

services.
United asks the Department to reallocate Delta’s Ha neda slots to United in

the event that Delta “abandons” Haneda service. D elta is not abandoning Haneda
service. Delta’s Los Angeles-Haneda flight resumes on June 2, and Delta’s DetroitHaneda flight resumes on June 16 -- both in full c ompliance with the Department’s
90 day dormancy condition.
In its 5-page application, United does not mention the Japanese tsunami or
its impact on U.S.-Tokyo air service. Delta’s res ponse of temporarily suspending

Haneda service until the immediate effects of the d isaster have abated, and

1 United and Continental are commonly owned by United Continental Holdings. Delta’s answer applies to both operating entities.Delta Answer Page 2
resuming service in June for the summer peak is app ropriate – and allowed by the
Department’s Order.
Yesterday it was reported that American is taking s imilar action, temporarily
suspending its New York (JFK)-Haneda service, and o ne of two Dallas/Ft. Worth -
Narita flights. 2 These service reductions equate to one-third of A merican’s entire
U.S.-Tokyo capacity. For its part, United has temp orarily suspended its second daily
San Francisco-Narita flight (originally scheduled t o begin on March 26), and has
removed 747 aircraft from the Chicago-Tokyo route f or the entire summer season,
replacing them with smaller capacity 777 aircraft. 3

Commercial conditions in the U.S.-Japan market are highly unusual, and
there is no record on which a reasoned public inter est decision could be make to

take Haneda slots from one carrier and award them t o another. The Department
denied United’s previous request for backup authori ty, because “the public interest
would be best served by allowing us to award any un used rights on the basis of a

fresh record.” Order 2010-7-2. Delta believes th at United’s renewed effort to obtain
Haneda slots through another application for backup authority is unwarranted.

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________ Alexander Van der Bellen Managing Director, Government Affairs & Associate General Counsel DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

2 See , http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-indust ry. 3 APG Schedules.CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

A copy of the foregoing document has been served th is 31st day of March, 2011, upon the following persons via email:

carl.nelson@aa.com dan.weiss@coair.com thomas.bolling@coair.com jeffrey.manley@united.com Annalei.Avancena@united.com howard.kass@usairways.com benjamin.slocum@usairways.com jhill@dowlohnes.com paul.gretch@dot.gov keith.glatz@dot.gov esta.rosenberg@dot.gov todd.homan@dot.gov urskr@state.gov eugene_alford@ita.doc.gov mike.orr@airlineinfo.com