OST Docket Filings for January 6, 1998

Aeromexico currently is offering daily round trip nonstop service in the market via a code share arrangement with Compania Mexicana de Aviacion, S.A. de C.V.. The authority is set to expire on January 29, 1998.

Service List

Answers are due by January 21, 1998

Counsel: Verner Liipfert, William Evans, 202-371-6030

Air India Limited and United Air Lines, Inc. - (Notice of Action Taken)

OST-96-1007 | Filed December 12, 1997 | Undocketed | Filed November 11, 1997 | Action Taken January 6, 1998

Air-India Limited Relief requested: RENEW exemption from 49 U.S.C. 41301, last granted January 6, 1997 (confirmed by Order 97-4-2) to conduct scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between Delhi, India, and Washington, D.C., pursuant to a code-share agreement with United Air Lines in conjunction with United's round-the-world service.

United Air Lines, Inc. Relief requested: RENEW statement of authorization under 14 CFR 207 of the Department's regulations to display Air India's airline designator code on certain United flights operated between Los Angeles and Delhi via Hong Kong; between New York/Newark and Delhi via London (Heathrow); and between Washington, D.C. (Dulles) and Delhi via London (Heathrow).

We dismissed United's application to the extent that it requested authority to display Air India's designator code on United's flights between Los Angeles and Delhi via Hong Kong. Air India's exemption for that market expired January 6, 1998, and the carrier did not apply for renewal of that authority.

Applicant representatives: Marshall Sinick for Air India, 202.626.6651; Joel Burton for United, 202.637.9130

Joint Consolidated Answer of Air Liberte and American Airlines

Air Liberte S.A. (Exemption and Intra-France Codeshare Operations with American)

OST-97-3209 | Undocketed | January 6, 1998

In contrast to the services described above, the authority requested by Air Liberté is extraordinarily limited. Air Liberté is not requesting authority to serve the United States. Neither is it requesting authority to operate international code share service or authority to place its designator code on flights operated by a U.S. carrier within the United States. Air Liberté, a French carrier, is requesting only the right to place American's "AA" designator code on domestic flights already operated by Air Liberté entirely within France. Air Liberté respectfully submits that the objecting carriers' inability to inaugurate the third country code share or third and fourth freedom services described in their respective answers does not compel the conclusion that comity and reciprocity do not support the more limited Air Liberté request for authority to place America's designator code on domestic flights operated by Air Liberté within its home country. That is especially true given the significant benefits that would accrue to Air Liberté's U.S. carrier code share partner -- American Airlines.

Counsel: Boros Garofalo, Don Hainbach, 202-822-9070 for Air Liberte / American, Carl Nelson, 202-496-5647

American Airlines, Inc. - (New Notice of Action Taken)

Undocketed | Filed November 21, 1997 | Action Taken January 5, 1998

Display South African Airways' "SA" designator code on flights operated by American in the following market:
Miami to/from: Seattle/Tacoma. American states that the code-sharing service will be operated in conjunction with SAA's transatlantic flights between South Africa and its Miami gateway, and that the carriers propose to commence this additional code-sharing service in early 1998. No answers were filed to the application.

Undocketed | Filed November 14, 1997 | Action Taken January 6, 1998

Display TAM's designator code on a blind sector basis on flights operated by American or American Eagle between TAM's US gateway points Miami, New York, Dallas and Chicago, on the one hand, and Austin, Nashville, Raleigh, St. Louis and Tampa, on the other, carrying TAM's Brazil-US traffic.

As provided under the November 18, 1997, Memorandum of Consultations, each country may select 25 points for services by its carriers operated on a code-share-only basis. To date, the Government of Brazil has selected 20 U.S. cities, including St. Louis and Tampa for code-share-only services. However, we have not received notification from Brazil of its selection of Austin, Raleigh/Durham or Nashville. Therefore, we have deferred action on the application to the extent it seeks authority to codeshare in these markets.

Applicant rep.: Carl Nelson, Jr. 202.496.5647

Reply of Continental Airlines and Motion for Leave to File

Continental Airlines, Inc. / Laker Airways, Inc. (US-UK)

OST-96-1642 | OST-97-2089 | January 6, 1998

Continental requests leave to file this reply to provide a complete record to the Department regarding questions raised by United and US Airways about Continental's plans for Cleveland-London service, to address issues raised by those carriers' answers about their own consideration of additional London service and to respond to a claim made by United about the validity of Continental's reliance on Part 377. Since neither United nor US Airways has sought its own London authority, neither carrier can be injured by any delay which acceptance of Continental's reply may occasion, and the public interest would be served by acceptance of this reply.

Counsel: Continental and Crowell Moring, Bruce Keiner, 202-624-2615

Consolidated Answer of The State of Hawaii

Harlequin Air Corporation (Exemption and Foreign Air Carrier Permit, US-Japan Charters)

OST-97-3275 | OST-97-3276 | January 6, 1998

Harlequin's proposed services are designed to provide new low cost air service alternatives and will help facilitate Japanese travel to Hawaii. The State stands to realize important economic benefits from these new services, and therefore urges the Department promptly to grant Harlequin's request.

Counsel: Hawaii and Shaw Pittman, Robert Cohn, 202-663-8060

Mexicargo - (Notice of Action Taken)

OST-95-825 | Filed November 24, 1997 | Action Taken January 5, 1998

Relief requested: Exemption from 49 USC section 41301 to permit the applicant to coduct scheduled, allcargo charter operations between Mexico and tthe United States, and other all-cargo charter operations in accordance with 14 CFR Part 212, for a period of one year.

Applicant representative(s): William H. Callaway, Jr., 202.298.8660

Order Tentatively Reselecting Carrier, Establishing Subsidy Rates, and Requesting Carrier Proposals

Moab, Utah / Ely, Nevada (Essential Air Service)

Order 97-12-29 | OST-97-2827 | OST-95-361 | Issued December 22, 1997 | Served December 29, 1997

By this order, the Department is tentatively reselecting Alpine Aviation, Inc., d/bra Alpine Air, to provide increased subsidized essential air service at Moab, Utah, and Ely, Nevada, for a new two-year period; providing for objections and competing proposals from other interested carriers; and setting a new final subsidy rate for its provision of essential air service at Moab and Ely from January 1, 1998, until the new higher service level is implemented.

Appendix A: Map
Appendix B: Subsidy Calculation
Appendix C: EAS at Ely until Higher Service Level is Implemented
Appendix D: Historical Traffic
Appendix E: Service List

By: Charles Hunnicutt

Application for Renewal of its Exemption

Northwest Airlines, Inc. (Exemption Renewal, US-Sierra Leone/Tanzania/Zimbabwe)

OST-96-990 (49137) | January 6, 1998

To date, Northwest has been unable to implement service to Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, due to the Government of Tanzania's refusal to authorize the proposed code-share service. Northwest and KLM, however, intend to continue their attempts to persuade the Government of Tanzania to authorize the proposed code-share service. Northwest therefore seeks renewal of its underlying exemption authority so that Northwest will be in a position to promptly implement U.S.-Tanzania code-share service in the event the Government of Tanzania changes its position and approves the proposed code-share service. Some of KLM's Amsterdam-Dar es Salaam flights may operate via Kilimanjaro and other of KLM's Amsterdam-Dar es Salaam flights may operate via Nairobi. Northwest does not seek traffic rights between Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam, nor does Northwest seek traffic rights between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Service List

Answers are due by January 21, 1998

Counsel: Northwest, Megan Rae Poldy, 202-842-3193

Simmons Airlines, Inc. d/b/a American Eagle, et al.

OST-95-368 | OST-97-2368 | OST-97-2771 | OST-97-3259 | OST-97-3153 | January 6, 1998

Re: Corrections to Comments filed by Comair

Comair, Inc. respectfully requests that two corrections be made to the Comments filed by it herein on December 30, 1997. The first correction is to change the word "sold" to "solid" on page 2, line 6 from the bottom. The second correction is to change "80" to "25". on page 3, line 9 from the bottom. Corrected pages 2 and 3 are attached hereto and have been served on all parties.

Counsel: Steptoe Johnson, Richard Taylor, 202-429-3000

TAM-Transportes Aereos Meridionais, S.A. (Notice of Action Taken)

OST-97-2421 | Filed November 14, 1997 | Action Taken January 6, 1998

On November 25, 1997, United Air Lines, Inc., answered and stated that the Government of Brazil (GOB) informed the U.S. Government via diplomatic note of November 10, 1997, that it had selected Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Tampa, Florida, as additional U.S. points available to Brazilian carriers to be served under code-share on operations conducted by a U.S.-carrier code-share partner; that St. Louis and Tampa were requested in both the pending TAM request and a similar pending request of Varig, S.A. and United (in Docket 97-2358); and that TAM's request to serve Austin, Nashville and Raleigh/Durham should be addressed by the GOB and not the Department.

Applicant representative: Robert Silverberg, 202-944-3300

Transpais Aereo, S.A. de C.V. (Notice of Action Taken)

OST-96-1912 | Filed December 17, 1997 | Action Taken January 6, 1998

Exemption from 49 USC section 41301 to permit the applicant to continue to conduct passenger charter operations between Mexico and the United States, and other passenger charter operations in accordance with 14 CFR Part 212, using small equipment, for a period of one year.

Applicant Representative: Lee Bauer, 202-962-9440

United Air Lines, Inc. (Notice of Action Taken - New)

OST-97-2358 and Undocketed | Filed October 30, 1997, as Amended November 21, 1997 | Action Taken January 6, 1998

Applicant Representative: Joel Burton, 202-637-9130

United Air Lines, Inc. against The Government of the Russian Federation

Order 98-1-5 | OST-97-2888 | Issued January 6, 1998 | Served January 12, 1998

Order Extending Deadline

We extend through February 6, 1998, the deadline for taking action on the complaint ofnUnited Air Lines.

By: Charles Hunnicutt

United Air Lines, Inc. and Varig, S.A. (Notice of Action Taken)

OST-97-2358 and Undocketed | Filed October 30, 1997, as amended November 21, 1997 | Action Taken January 6, 1998

Relief requested: (1) Amendment to exemption granted Varig by Notice of Action Taken September 2, 1997, in this Docket, to conduct code-share operations between Brazil and Maui, Hawaii, on a code-share basis on flights operated by United, in order to substitute Cleveland, Ohio, for the code-share point Maui; (2) Exemption under 49 U.S.C. 40109 for Varig to conduct scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between a point or points in Brazil, on the one hand, and Cincinnati, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; and Salt Lake City, Utah, on the other, on a code-share basis on flights operated by United, and to coterminalize operations at those U.S. points with operations at Varig's other Department-authorized U.S. points; (3) Exemption for Varig to conduct scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between a point or points in Brazil, on the one hand, and Boston, Massachusetts, on the other, via intermediate points, and to coterminalize Boston operations with operations at Varig's other Department-authorized U.S. points; and (4) Statement of authorization under 14 CFR Part 212 for Varig to display United's designator code on flights operated by Varig between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the one hand, and Boston, Massachusetts, on the other (and to coterminalize Boston service with Varig's existing authority to conduct operations between points in Brazil and New York, New York). Varig stated that it would not carry local traffic between New York and Boston.

Applicant Representative: Connie O'Keefe (Varig) 202-822-9070 / Joel Burton (United) 202-637-9130