United Air Lines, Inc.

OST-2006-25022 - Exemption - US-Qatar Mail Codeshare with Qatar Airways

June 6, 2006

Application for an Exemption

United applies for issuance of an exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40109 to engage in service between points in the United States and points in Qatar via intermediate points, and beyond Qatar to points in third countries. United proposes initially to operate pursuant to this exemption mail-only code-share service between the U.S. and Qatar via intermediate points and beyond to third countries beginning as soon as all necessary government approvals have been received. United requests that the exemption be granted for at least a two-year period or until a final order is issued on its application for comparable certificate authority in Docket OST-1999-6385, subject to the usual conditions.

United is currently offering service between the U.S. and Doha, Qatar, under its code share with Lufthansa, That service is provided under the blanket exemption which authorizes United to offer such service with certain carriers, including Lufthansa. (Docket OST-2004-19148) Because that blanket exemption does not include code-share services with Qatar Airways, United is seeking this specific exemption to do so.

United plans initially to provide mail-only service between points in the US and Doha, Qatar under a codeshare arrangement with Qatar Airways. Under this arrangement, United will transport U.S. mail on its flights between U.S. points and various European gateways, and the mail will then be placed on flights operated by Qatar Airways and flown to Doha, Qatar and beyond to its final destination in third countries. Initially, the mail carried on United's flights will be conveyed to Qatar Airways' flights in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, and Paris and flown to Doha and beyond to Bahrain.

Qatar Airways has applied for a statement of authorization for blanket code-share authority to display United's "UA" designator code on flights operated by Qatar Airways between any point in the U.S, and Qatar, via third country intermediate points, and beyond Qatar to any point in any third country. Qatar Airways currently holds exemption authority to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between any point in the U.S, and Qatar and beyond via any intermediate points. See Notice of Action Taken, May 4, 2006 (Docket OST-2006‑24061).

Counsel: Wilmer Hale, Jeffrey Manley, 202-663-6670, jeffrey.manley@wilmerhale.com

OST-2006-25022 - Exemption - US-Qatar Mail Codeshare with Qatar Airways

Filed June 6, 2006 | Issued August 9, 2006

Notice of Action Taken

Scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between any point or points in the United States, via any intermediate point or points, and any point or points in Qatar, and beyond Qatar to any point or points in third countries.

United has also requested certificate authority for this route. We will handle that request separately.

United plans initially to provide mail-only service between points in the United States and Doha, Qatar, under a code-share arrangement with Qatar Airways. Under this arrangement. United will transport U.S. mail on its flights between U.S. points and various European gateways, and the mail will then be placed on flights operated by Qatar Airways and flown to Doha and beyond to its Final destination in third countries (initially Bahrain). We are issuing Qatar Airways a statement of authorization tor this service concurrently with our action here. See Docket OST-2006-25016. Although United is initially offering code-share service to Qatar, it specifically requests exemption authority broad enough to authorize United to offer combination air service to Qatar with its own aircraft should traffic warrant.

By: Paul Gretch