Court Opinion

ID: 9454688
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:54:41.678681+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:14.599562
License: Public Domain

STALEY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I find that I am unable to agree with the majority’s view as to what is the central issue before the court.
Section 1002(a) of the Federal Aviation Act, 49 U.S.C. § 1482(a), provides in part:
“ * * * Whenever the Administrator or the Board is of the opinion that any complaint does not state facts which warrant an investigation or action, such complaint may be dismissed without hearing. * * * ”
When the Board relies upon the authority Congress granted it by this section, as it obviously did in the instant case, it *937must necessarily exercise its judgment and discretion. In such cases the courts have consistently held that the scope of appellate review does not reach beyond deciding whether the Board abused its discretion in dismissing the complaint without a hearing and without granting the requested relief. See, e. g., Transcontinental Bus System, Inc. v. C. A. B., 383 F.2d 466, 478 (C.A.5, 1967), cert. denied, 390 U.S. 920, 88 S.Ct. 850, 19 L.Ed.2d 979 (1968); Flying Tiger Line, Inc. v. C. A. B., 121 U.S.App.D.C. 332, 350 F.2d 462, 465 (1965), cert. denied, 385 U.S. 945, 87 S.Ct. 316, 17 L.Ed.2d 224 (1966); Flight Engineers International Ass’n v. C. A. B., 118 U.S.App.D.C. 112, 332 F.2d 312, 314 (1964); Nebraska Department of Aeronautics v. C. A. B., 298 F.2d 286, 295-296 (C.A. 8, 1962); Pan American-Grace Airways, Inc. v. C. A. B., 85 U.S.App.D.C. 297, 178 F.2d 34 (1949).
In Flying Tiger Line, Inc. v. C. A. B., supra, the issue was whether the Board abused its discretion by refusing to investigate an allegation of unjust discrimination precipitated by the filing of a tariff setting forth special low rates limited to military stores and impedimenta moving under United States Government bills of lading for the Department of Defense. The complaint alleged that the tariff was unjustly discriminatory and therefore violative of section 404(b) of the Act, 49 U.S.C. § 1374(b).1 Noting that this section of the Act exists to protect shippers rather than carriers, the court ruled that “the complaint had to make a plausible case” that the challenged tariff “would cause some substantial injury to shippers in order to require the Board to take action.” 350 F.2d at 465. In effect, the court established the requirement that a third-party complainant must show some substantial injury to those protected by the Act if the reviewing court is to declare that the Board, in refusing to investigate, abused its discretion. I think this requirement should apply with equal force to the present case.
Since sections 404 and 1002 are for the protection of travelers as well as shippers, and since the challenged tariffs are passenger fares, it was incumbent upon Transcontinental to present in the complaint a plausible ease that family fares cause substantial injuries to travelers. In this regard, the Board’s regulations require that complaints against fares “shall state the reasons why the * * * fares * * * complained of are unlawful and shall support such reasons with a full factual analysis.” 14 C.F.R. § 302.-502. This requirement is, I think, a fair one. The complaint in the instant case merely describes how the family fares work, and then alleges in substance that because they work the way they do, they are violative of provisions of the Act. Whether this sort of per se argument constitutes the “full factual analysis” called for in the Board’s regulation is something I need not dwell upon. At the very least, the Board’s decision passing upon the substance of the complaint required an exercise of judgment. And in light of the paucity of supporting data contained in the instant complaint, I am not prepared to state that it presents a persuasive argument that family fares are injurious to travelers. Accordingly, since I do not think the Board abused its discretion in dismissing the complaint without a hearing and without granting the requested relief, I would affirm the Board’s order.

. Section 404(b) provides:
“No air carrier or foreign air carrier shall make, give, or cause any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any particular person, port, locality, or description of traffic in air transportation in any respect whatsoever or subject any particular person, port, locality, or description of traffic in air transportation to any unjust discrimination or any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage in any respect whatsoever.” 49 TJ.S.C. § 1874 (b).