Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C.

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

February 24, 2006

Application for an Exemption - Bookmarked

Qatar Airways hereby applies for an exemption which would enable it to provide scheduled and nonscheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between points in Qatar and points in the United States. Initially, Qatar Airways will hold out service from Doha, Qatar to the United States via points in Germany, pursuant to a code share agreement between Qatar Airways and Lufthansa German Airlines. Qatar Airways intends to market these services on or about March 26, 2006, and accordingly requests prompt approval of this Application.

Under this arrangement, Qatar Airways will hold out service to the U.S. by placing its code on certain U.S.-Germany services operated by Lufthansa. Lufthansa will shortly apply for a Statement of Authorization to provide this service.

Qatar Airways has entered into a code share agreement with Lufthansa. Under this arrangement, Qatar Airways will hold out service to New York, Newark, Houston, and Washington by placing its code on Lufthansa's nonstop services from Frankfurt and Munich to New York's JFK International Airport, Newark, and Washington Dulles. Qatar Airways also will place its code on Lufthansa's Frankfurt-Houston services. These code-shares will offer individuals traveling to and from the Middle East an important new service option. Accordingly, this service should be approved without delay.

Qatar Airways operates a fleet of 42 aircraft. The fleet, which is among the very youngest in the industry, is comprised of Airbus A300s, A320s, and A330s.

Counsel: Garfinkle Wang, Anita Mosner, 703-294-5890

February 24, 2006

Motion for Confidential Treatment

Qatar Airways requests that the Department withhold from public disclosure the documents that Qatar Airways is filing herewith under seal in this Docket.

They contain extremely sensitive information that has not been made publicly available, and which is not disclosed to any third party. If disclosed, this information could be used by Qatar Airways' competitors to their strategic advantage, and Qatar Airways' disadvantage, in making competitive decisions.

Counsel: Garfinkle Wang, Anita Mosner, 703-294-5890

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

Filed February 24, 2006 | Issued May 4, 2006

Notice of Action Taken | Word

Exemption from 49 USC § 41301 to permit the applicant to engage in scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between points in Qatar and points in the United States.

The applicant stated that its scheduled services would be conducted under a code-share arrangement with Lufthansa German Airlines, only on flights operated by Lufthansa German Airlines.  The applicant further stated that under this arrangement, it will hold out service to the U.S. by placing its designator code on certain U.S.-Germany scheduled services operated by Lufthansa German Airlines.  Lufthansa German Airlines has applied for a corresponding statement of authorization in Docket OST-2006-24077.

The applicant has requested confidential treatment of its financial submissions, under the provisions of 14 CFR § 302.12.  Good cause having been shown, we will grant this request.

By: Paul Gretch

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

Filed February 24, 2006 | Issued May 5, 2006

Notice of Action Taken | Word

Exemption from 49 USC § 41301 to permit the applicant to engage in scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between points in Qatar and points in the United States.

The applicant stated that its scheduled services would initially be conducted under a code-share arrangement with Lufthansa German Airlines, on flights operated by Lufthansa German Airlines.  The applicant further stated that under this arrangement, it will hold out service to the U.S. by placing its designator code on certain U.S.-Germany scheduled services operated by Lufthansa German Airlines.  Lufthansa German Airlines has applied for a corresponding statement of authorization in Docket OST-2006-24077.  The applicant states in its application that “Until such time as Qatar is rated and place in Category 1 under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment program, Qatar Airways would be willing to accept a condition on its authority which would require that flight operations be performed by either a U.S. carrier or a foreign carrier from a nation which has been placed in Category 1 under IASA.”

The applicant has requested confidential treatment of its financial submissions, under the provisions of 14 CFR § 302.12.  Good cause having been shown, we will grant this request..

By: Paul Gretch

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

January 29, 2007

Application for Amendment of Exemption Authority

Qatar Airways hereby applies for an amendment of its exemption authority, which would enable it to operate scheduled and nonscheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between points in Qatar and points in the United States using its own aircraft and crew. Qatar Airways also has an application for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit (see Application of Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C. for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit Pursuant to Subpart B in Docket OST-2006-24538, dated April 17, 2006) pending before the Department, which would enable Qatar Airways to operate scheduled service on any and all routes authorized pursuant to the Air Transportation Service Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of Qatar. Qatar Airways plans to start scheduled service to the U.S. on or before June 1, 2007. Out of an abundance of caution, Qatar Airways is requesting that the Department amend Qatar Airways' exemption in the event that the Department is unable to take final action on the Permit Application on or before March 1.

This application is necessary because the Department approved Qatar Airways' original exemption authority with a restriction that required its operations to be conducted only through a wet lease or code-share arrangement with a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier. See Notice of Action Taken in Docket OST-2006-24061, dated May 5, 2006. At this time, Qatar Airways requests an amendment to the exemption authority to remove the wet lease and code-share condition.

Counsel: Holland & Knight, Anita Mosner, 202-955-3000, anita.mosner@hklaw.com

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

February 2, 2007

Re: Polling Results

By Application dated January 29, 2007, Qatar Airways applied in this docket for an amendment of its exemption authority to enable it to provide scheduled and nonscheduled foreign air service between points in Qatar and points in the United States using its own aircraft and crew.

Qatar Airways has polled all interested parties, and no party has objected to the Application. For this reason, Qatar Airways respectfully requests that the Department promptly grant the requested authority.

Counsel: Holland & Knight, Anita Mosner, 202-419-2604, anita.mosner@hklaw.com

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

Filed January 29, 2007 | Issued February 9, 2007

Notice of Action Taken

Amend exemption from 49 USC § 41301, issued May 5, 2006, in the present Docket, which currently permits the applicant to engage in scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between points in Qatar and points in the United States, limited to operations conducted only through a wet lease or code-share arrangement with a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier, to allow the carrier to conduct these operations using its own aircraft and crews.

At the time of our May 5, 2006 action, Qatar had not yet been assessed under the Federal Aviation Administration International Aviation Safety Assessment program. The FAA has since completed an IASA assessment of the Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar, resulting in a Category I rating. On February 9, 2007, the FAA advised us that it knows of no reason why we should act unfavorably on the applicant's amended request.

The Department is acting on Qatar Airways' application prior to the expiration of the 15-day answer period with the consent of all parties served.

By: Paul Gretch

OST-2006-24061 - Exemption - Qatar-US Codeshare with Lufthansa

Filed January 29, 2007 | Issued February 12, 2007

Notice of Action Taken - Corrected Copy

Amend exemption from 49 USC § 41301, issued May 5, 2006, in the present Docket, which currently permits the applicant to engage in scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between points in Qatar and points in the United States, limited to operations conducted only through a wet lease or code-share arrangement with a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier, to allow the carrier to conduct these operations using its own aircraft and crews.

At the time of our May 5, 2006 action, Qatar had not yet been assessed under the Federal Aviation Administration International Aviation Safety Assessment program. The FAA has since completed an IASA assessment of the Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar, resulting in a Category I rating. On February 9, 2007, the FAA advised us that it knows of no reason why we should act unfavorably on the applicant's amended request.

The Department is acting on Qatar Airways' application prior to the expiration of the 15-day answer period with the consent of all parties served.

By: Paul Gretch