Document ID: DOT-OST-2005-20771-0005
Agency: dot
Document Type: Notice
Title: Notice of Action Taken re: AirSprint Inc.
Posted Date: 2006-01-17T05:00Z

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

		        DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

			  OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

			          WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation on January 17, 2006

NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN -- DOCKET OST-2005-20771

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken
by the Department official indicated (no additional confirming order
will be issued in this matter).

Applicant:  AirSprint Inc.						Date Filed:  March 23, 2005

Relief requested:   Exemption from 49 U.S.C. § 41301 to engage in
charter air transportation of persons, property and mail between Canada
and the United States, either directly or via intermediate points in
other countries, with or without stopovers, and other charters in
accordance with 14 CFR Part 212, using aircraft of 60 or fewer seats or
with a maximum payload capacity of 18,000 pounds or less.

If renewal, date and citation of last action:  New authority

Applicant representatives:  Philip Dewsnap  (403) 730-2344

                                                                    

DOT Analyst:  Shelita A. Smith  (202) 366-1226

Responsive pleadings:  None filed

DISPOSITION

Action:  Approved in part, remainder dismissed (regarding request for
authority to serve without stopovers; see below)

 										Action date:  January 17, 2006

Effective dates of authority granted:  January 17, 2006 – January 17,
2007 

Basis for approval (bilateral agreement/reciprocity):  United
States-Canada Air Transport Services Agreement (Agreement)

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to the
terms, conditions, and limitations of our standard exemption conditions,
and to all applicable provisions of the U.S.-Canada Agreement.  Further,
the above grant includes authority to conduct Third and Fourth Freedom
charter operations.  Other charter operations to/from the United States
under this authority, including charters operated via intermediate
points in other countries, are subject to prior approval under 14 CFR
Part 212.  Consistent with the provisions of Article III of the
Agreement, we are requiring that charter operations conducted between
third countries and the United States, via Canada, make a stopover in
Canada for at least two consecutive nights.

Special conditions/Partial grant/Denial basis/Remarks:  Based on the
record in this case, we found that AirSprint is financially and
operationally qualified to perform the services authorized above.   We
also found that AirSprint is substantially owned and effectively
controlled by its homeland nationals.  Further, the FAA advised us that
it knows of no reason to withhold this authority.

Action taken by:  Paul L. Gretch, Director	

		   Office of International Aviation	

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Under authority assigned by the Department in its regulations, 14 CFR
Part 385, we found that (1) the applicant is qualified to perform the
proposed operations; (2) our action was consistent with Department
policy; (3) grant of the authority was consistent with the public
interest; and (4) grant of the authority would not constitute a major
regulatory action under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. 
To the extent not granted/deferred/dismissed, we denied 

all requests in the referenced Docket.  We may amend, modify, or revoke
the authority granted in this Notice at any time without hearing at our
discretion.

Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of the action set
forth in this Notice under the Department’s regulations, 14 CFR §
385.30, may file their petitions within seven (7) days after the date of
issuance of this Notice.  This action was effective when taken, and the
filing of a petition for review will not alter such effectiveness.

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide
Web at:

  HYPERLINK "http://dms.dot.gov//reports/reports_aviation.asp" 
http://dms.dot.gov//reports/reports_aviation.asp 

Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier
applicant(s) shall:

(1)  Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective
authorization from its homeland for such operations, and it has filed a
copy of such authorization with the Department;

(2)  Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation
Administration, including, but not limited to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, and
36, and with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning
security, including, but not limited to, 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as
applicable.  To assure compliance with all applicable U.S. Government
requirements concerning security, the holder shall, before commencing
any new service (including charter flights) from a foreign airport that
would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States,
contact its International Principal Security Inspector (IPSI) to advise
the IPSI of its plans and to find out whether the Transportation
Security Administration has determined that security is adequate to
allow such airport(s) to be served;

(3)  Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage
contained in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the commencement of any
operations under this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the
form of a completed OST Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation
Administration’s Program Management Branch (AFS-260), Flight Standards
Service (any changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be
filed with that office);

(4)  Not operate aircraft under this authority unless it complies with
operational safety requirements at least equivalent to Annex 6 of the
Chicago Convention;

(5)  Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirements of
its Government for international air services;

(6)  Except as specifically exempted or otherwise provided for in a
Department Order, comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 203,
concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defenses;

(7)  Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of
sovereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 1605(a), but only with
respect to those actions or proceedings instituted against it in any
court or other tribunal in the United States that are: (a)  based on its
operations in international air transportation that, according to the
contract of carriage, include a point in the United States as a point of
origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for which the
contract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or (b)  based
on a claim under any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any
court or other tribunal of the United States.  In this condition, the
term "international air transportation" means "international
transportation" as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except that all
States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the
purpose of this definition;

(8)  Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or
terminate all flights to/from the United States in its homeland;

(9)  Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the
reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and charter data;

(10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provided
in the applicable aviation agreement, comply with the Department's rules
governing charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380); and

(11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and
limitations required by the public interest as may be prescribed by the
Department, with all applicable orders or regulations of other U.S.
agencies and courts, and with all applicable laws of the United States.

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder
is not in compliance with the conditions imposed above.  Moreover, this
authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit
Department approval under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.

 AirSprint ‘s application was accompanied by a motion under Rule 12
(14 CFR § 302.12) to withhold certain financial information from public
disclosure.  In support of its motion, AirSprint states that the
information is proprietary and commercially sensitive, and that
AirSprint would be adversely affected by its disclosure.  We have
reviewed the documents under the disclosure guidelines of Rule 12 and
have determined that they warrant confidential treatment.  Because of
the commercially sensitive nature of the information, we have determined
that the documents fall within the Freedom of Information Act exemption
for proprietary information and would adversely affect the competitive
position of AirSprint under 49 U.S.C. § 40115.

05/2004