U.S

. Departmen t •
_GENERA L COUNSE L 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAvenue

. S E o f Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Jun e 16 , 201 1 Offic e o f th e Secretory o f Transportatio n ! ^ ' :

Certifie dMail-Retur n Receip t Requeste d Jessic aTun g 15F , 376 , Hsin-na n Rd

. Sectio n 1 , Lu Ch u ^^ S Taoyua n Hsieh , Taiwan , R.O.C

. 0 r o
Re : Equivalen t

Alternativ e Determinatio n Reques t Concernin g 1 4 CFR"582.6 1

Dear Ms

. Tung : Thi s lette r

concern s th e Apri l 28

. 2010 , reques t o f EV A Airway s (EVA) , fo r an equivalen t alternativ e determinatio n concernin g th e movabl e aisl e armres t requiremen t

containe di n sectio n 382.6 1 o f

th e Department' s Ai r

Carrie r Acces s Ac t

(ACAA ) regulation , 1 4 CF R 382.61 , fo r

th e busines s an d premiu meconom y clas s seat s i n it s Boein g B777-300E R aircraft

. W e ar e grantin g thi s reques t subjec t t o th e condition s discusse dbelow

. Sectio n 382.6Ua ) require s carrier s t o ensur e tha t "aircraf t wit h 3 0 o r

mor e passenge r

seats ' o n whic h passenge r

aisl e seat s hav e ammrests ar e equippe dwit h movabl e aisl e armrest s o n a t leas t one-hal f o f th e aisl e seat s i n row s i n whic h passenger s wit h mobilit y impairment s ar e permitte dt o si t

unde r FA A o r

applicabl e foreig n governmen t safet y rules. " Sectio n 382.61(c ) note s tha t

movabl e aisl e armrest s mus t b e "provide dproportionatel y i n al l classe s o f service ' i n th e cabin." " Furthermore , th e Enforcemen t Offic e ha s interprete dmovabl e aisl e armres t

a s meanin g a n armres t o n an aisl e sea t

tha t completel y move s o r

fold s ou t o f th e wa y whil e th e seatbac k remain s i n an uprigh t

positio n t o permi t

apassenge r

wii h a mobilit y impairmen t

t o safel y mak e a

n unobstructe dtransfe r

(wit h assistanc e fro mcarrie r personne l i

f ih e passenger' s physica l abilit y necessitate s suc h assistance ) fro ma n aisl e wheelchai r

t o hi s o r he r aircraf t seat
.

' Th e Depanmeri

V s Offic e ol ' Avial'to

n Enforcemen

t an dProceeding s tEnforcemen

t Office ) ha s lon g hel dtha t ih e passenge r seatin g capacit y o f a n aircraf t is (h e manufacturer' s ma;(imu

mdesigne dseatin g capacit y o f a give n aircraf t type
. Therefore , acarrie

r ma y no t avoi dcomplianc

e wit h th e aircraf t accessibilit

y requiremen

t o f Par t 382 b y reducin g th e numbe r o f seat s o n a n aircraf t o r orderin g a n aircraf t wit h fewe r seat s tha n it s designe dseatin g capacity

. Fo

r example , i f amanufacture

r designs a n aircraf t typ e t o hol damaximu

mo f 11 0 passenge r seats , th e Enforcemen

t Offic e woul dtrea t th e aircraf t a s a n aircraf t wit h apassenge

r seatin g capacit y o f 11 0 eve n i f acarrie r stipulate s tha

t th e aircraf t i s t o b e delivere dwit h 9 9 seat s o r takes deliver

y o f a n aircraf t wii h 11 0 seat s an dthe n removes 1 1 seats
. Fo r example , i f 8 0 percen t o f th e aisl e seat s i n whic h passenger

s wit h mobilit y impairment

s ma y si t ar e i n coach , an d2 0 percen t ar e i n firs t class , the n 8 0 percen t o f th e movabl e aisl e armrest s mus t b e i n coach , wit

h 2 0 percen t i n first class

.I

n it s equivalen t

alternativ e determinatio n request , EV A state s tha t th e busines s an d premiu meconom y clas s seat s i n it s Boein g B777-300E Raircraf t d o no t hav e movabl e aisl e armrest s a s require db y sectio n 382.61

. However , EV A assert s tha t th e sea t pitc h an d amoun t o f entranc e spac e fo r

it s busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s seat s provid e passenger s with amobilit y impairmen t sufficien t

spac e t o easil y transfe r t o an dfro mthos e seat s withou t

havin g t o b e lifte dove r th e fixedaisl e armrest
. Base do n th e informatio n submitte db y EV A fo r th e busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s .seat s i n it s Boein g B777-300E Raircraft , th e Departmen t i s grantin g EVA' s equivalen t altemativ e determinatio n reques t for sectio n 382.6 1 with th e followin g conditions : (1 ) Thi s approva l i s limite dt o th e busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s .seat s i n EVA' s Boein g B777-300E Raircraf t wit h th e configuratio n an ddimension s provide di n it s Apri l 28 , 201 0 equivalen t altemativ e determinatio n request
. EV A mus t obtai n th e Department' s prio r

approva l fo r

an y sea t

configuratio n change s and/o r sea l dimensio n change s t o b e mad e o n an y aircraf t tha t i s subjec t

t o thi s approval

. I

f EVA ' implement s sea t

configuratio n and/o r

sea t dimensio n change s withou t prio r approva l of th e Department , the y ris k bein g i n violatio n o f

sectio n 382.61 ; (2 ) EV A mus t

provide , o r

ensur e th e provisio n of , specialize dtrainin g t o it s employee s an dcontractors , a s well a s th e employee s an dcontractor s o f an y othe r

entit y tha t

wil l b e transferrin g person s wit h amobilit y impairmen t t o o r fro mth e busines s an d premiu meconom y clas s seat s i n it s Boein g B777-30GE Raircraft , withi n 3 0 day s o f th e dat e o f

thi s letter

. Afte r

3 0 day s fro mth e dat e o f thi s letter , an y employe e o r contracto r

assigne dt o transfe r

person s wit h amobilit y impairmen t t o o r fro mth e busines s aii dpremiu meconom y clas s seat s o n EVA' s Boeing•B777-300E Raircraf t mus t receiv e th e specialize dtrainin g befor e peribrmin g suc h transfers

. Th e specialize dtrainin g mus t ensur e trainin g t o proficienc y i n ho w t o properl y transfe r a passenge r

t o an dfro mEVA' s busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s seals

. Suc h trainin g miis t

als o cover , a t

aminimum : (A ) th e prope r us e o f al l item s neede dt o transfe r apassenge r

t o an dfro mth e busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s seat s (e.g. , transfe r boar dan dsling/hamess) ; (B ) th e numbe r o f person s neede dt o perfor mth e transfer ; (C ) ho w t o properl y operat e th e busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s seat s (e.g. , locatio n an dus e o f contro l buttons) ; an d(D ) ho w t o transfe r apassenge r

t o an d fro mth e busines s an dpremiu meconom y clas s seat s i n asaf e an ddignifie dmanne r (e.g. , contracto r

performin g th e transfe r shoul das k

th e passenge r

ho w h e o r

sh e woul dlik e t o b e transferre dand , i f it i s saf e t o d o so , transfe r

th e passenge r

a s requested) ; an d

### (3 ) EV A must also : (A ) provide , or

ensure the provisio n of

, annua l refreshe r trainin g fo

r employee s an

dcontractor s who will b e assistin g passenger s wit h mobilit

y impairment s wit

h transfer s to an

dfro mth e busines s an

dpremiumeconom

y clas s seat s i n it s Boeing B777-300E

Raircraft ; (B ) retai n fo

r thre e year s individuals ' trainin g record s demonstratin g tha t all person s require dto receiv e initia l an d reft"eshe r trainin g hav e don e so ; an d(C ) withi n 3 0 day s afte

r eac h calenda

r quarter , fo r aperio do

f thre e years , provide the Enforcemen t Offic e wit

h copie s of

all complaints , i

f any . regardin g passenge r transfer s to an

dfro mit s busines s an

d premiumeconom

y clas s seat s i

n the covere daircraft

. I f yo u hav e an y question s about

thi s matter , pleas e contac t Michael Hallock

o r Jame s Fisher o f m y staff , o r me , a t (202 ) 366-9342

. Yo

u ma y als o reach u s b

y FA X a t (202 ) 366-7152

. Sincerely ,

Samuel Podberesk

y Assistant Genera l Counse l fo

r Aviatio n Enforcemen

t an dProceeding s