Volga-Dnepr J.S. Cargo Airline

OST-2007-26952 - Emergency Exemption - Columbus-Boeing Field

January 16, 2007

Application for an Emergency Exemption

Volga-Dnepr J.S. Cargo Airlines respectfully requests an emergency exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. §§ 40109(g) and 41703(c), and otherwise applicable provisions of the Department of Transportation regulations, so as to permit Volga-Dnepr to operate one one-way all-cargo charter flight utilizing Volga-Dnepr’s AN-124-100 aircraft to transport outsized cargo between Columbus, Ohio and Seattle/Boeing Field, Washington on or around January 18, 2007.

The outsized cargo transported by Volga-Dnepr between Columbus and Boeing Field will consist of three General Electric Aircraft Engines GE90-115 aircraft engines with the total payload of up to 50,000 kgs, and each engine, in installed configuration in which it needs to be shipped, having the dimensions measuring 25.3 x 13 x 12.6 feet and weighing 11,833 kgs. As such, the engines in question cannot be accommodated by commercially available U.S. carrier aircraft. The engines need to be urgently delivered to Boeing Field for installation on Boeing 777 aircraft to support Boeing’s final assembly and delivery schedules. The circumstances of the requested shipment, that is one of a series of similar shipments required by GEAE, are reflected in the GEAE letter attached hereto, as well as in similar applications by Antonov Airlines, submitted and approved earlier in Dockets OST-2006-26361; OST-2006-26474; OST-2006-26568; and OST-2006-26749.

Counsel: The Wicks Group, Glenn Wicks, 202-457-7790

Filed January 16, 2007 | Issued January 17, 2007

Notice of Action Taken

Exemption from 49 U.S.C. 40109(g) to permit the applicant to operate one, one-way, all-cargo charter flight from Columbus, Ohio, to Boeing Field, Washington, on or around January 18, 2007, using its AN-124 aircraft to transport three GE 90-115 aircraft engines on behalf of General Electric Aircraft Engines. The applicant stated that the shipper urgently requires delivery of the engines for installation on new Boeing B-777 aircraft to support Boeing's final assembly and delivery schedules; that the cargo is too large for transportation on U.S. carrier aircraft; and that surface transportation is not feasible because of the long time period that such mode of transportation would take.

Specifically, we were persuaded that the need to deliver the engines promptly in order to meet the urgent delivery and installation schedules of GEAE and Boeing; the fact that the cargo could not be transported by surface means because of the long time period such movement would take; the potential negative impact of delivery delay; and the unique, outsized nature of the cargo constituted an emergency not arising in the normal course of business. Moreover, based on the representations of the U.S. carriers, we concluded that no U.S. carrier had aircraft available which could be used to conduct the operation at issue here. We also found that grant of this authority would prevent unreasonable hardship to GEAE and Boeing.

By: Paul Gretch