| **EXHIBIT                10.40(i)**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **CONFIDENTIAL                TREATMENT**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| **REQUESTED                PURSUANT TO RULE 24b-2**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **Certain                portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request                for                confidential treatment under Rule 24b-2 of the Securities Exchange                Act of                1934. The omitted materials have been filed separately with the Securities                and Exchange Commission.** |

**AMENDMENT      No. 9 TO LETTER AGREEMENT DCT-015/2004**

**1.      Schedule “5” - Mutual Support-Second Amended and      Restated**

** **
**2.      Miscellaneous**

*****Confidential**

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| EMBRAER              - Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A.                                            |   |   | **Republic              Airline Inc.**                        |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                                          |   |   |                                                          |
| /s/ Satoshi              Yokota                                                                          |   |   | /s/ Bryan              Bedford                           |
|                                                                                                               |   |   |                                                               |
| Name:                Satoshi YokotaTitle: Executive Vice President Engineering and                Development |   |   | Name:              Bryan              BedfordTitle: President |
|                                                                                                          |   |   |                                                          |
|                                                                                                          |   |   | Date:              September 20, 2006                         |
|                                                                                                          |   |   | Place:              Indianapolis                              |

|                                                                                             |   |   |   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| /s/ Jose              Luis              D. Molina                                           |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                  |   |   |        |
| Name:              Jose Luis D.              MolinaTitle: Director of Contracts - Airline Market |   |   |   |
| Date:              September 20, 2006                                                            |   |   |        |
| Place:              Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP, Brazil                                              |   |   |   |

| Witnesses:                                 |   |   |                                   |
|--------------------------------------------|--------|--------|----------------------------------------|
|                                       |   |   |                                   |
| Witness:              Carlos Martins Dutra |   |   | Witness:              Lars-Erik Arnell |
| Name:              Carlos Martins Dutra    |   |   | Name:              Lars-Erik Arnell    |
|                                            |   |   |                                        |

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