Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc.

OST-2005-20121 - Reduction of Service to Macon, Georgia Pursuant to 14 CFR 323.3(a)(5) and Request for Waiver of 90-Day Notice Requirement

January 14, 2005

Notice of Reduction of Service and Request for Waiver

ASA requests a waiver to reduce its Macon service on less than 90 days' notice. As a result of circumstances beyond ASA's control relating to TSA requirements applicable to the Macon airport, ASA can no longer operate revenue service with ATR-72 aircraft at Macon.

Effective as of January 1, 2005, ASA provided five weekday roundtrip flights with 256 weekday one-way seats, using a combination of 66-seat ATR-72 aircraft and 50-seat CRJ aircraft, with a reduced pattern of service on weekends. ASA had planned to increase the number of ATR-72 flights to Macon effective January 31, 2005. However, ASA was recently advised that the Transportation Security Administration notified Macon that the TSA would no longer allow airlines to operate revenue service at Macon airport with aircraft in excess of 60 seats because the airport has not met TSA security requirements for larger aircraft. Accordingly, ASA has had to cancel flights which it planned to operate in January with 66-seat ATR-72 aircraft and 70-seat CR7 aircraft.

Moreover, beginning January 31, 2005, ASA's Macon schedule involves more flights with 66-seat ATR-72 aircraft. Since ASA's new schedule was established prior to receipt of the TSA notice, at this late date ASA does not have the ability to substitute smaller aircraft for the ATR-72s. Thus, effective January 31, ASA will be forced to cancel all large aircraft ATR-72 revenue flights to Macon, leaving only two daily flights with smaller RJ aircraft.

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

Order 2005-1-19
OST-2005-20121 - EAS at Macon, GA

Issued January 21, 2005 | Served January 26, 2005

Order Allowing Reduction of Service and Granting Waiver Request

On January 15, 2005, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Delta Connection, filed a notice of intent to reduce its unsubsidized scheduled service at Macon, Georgia. ASA filed its notice pursuant to the Department’s "one-third rule": section 323.3(a)(5) of the Department’s Regulations requires a carrier to file a 90-day notice if its proposed suspension of service would reduce the total number of passenger seats linking the affected community to a Federal Aviation Administration-designated hub by 33 percent or more. In its notice, ASA also requests a waiver from the 90-day notice requirement in order to implement the service reduction on short notice, as of January 31.

By: Karan Bhatia