Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and Air Jamaica Limited

OST-2008-0014 - Statements of Authorization - London-Kingston/Montego Bay via Miami

January 9, 2008

Joint Application for Statements of Authorization

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and Air Jamaica Limited have entered into a commercial cooperation agreement to display each other's airline designator code on certain flights operated by the other carrier. Virgin Atlantic and Air Jamaica hereby apply jointly, pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 212, for Statements of Authorization that would permit the carriers to implement a code-sharing arrangement that would enable each carrier to hold out scheduled services between London, England, on the one hand, and Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica, on the other hand, via Miami, Florida.

Virgin Atlantic holds a foreign air carrier permit, which permits it to provide the full scope of foreign air transportation available to EU carriers under the U.S.-EU "open skies agreement," including, inter alia, scheduled foreign air transportation from points behind any Member State of the European Union via any points in any Member State to any points in the United States and beyond. See Order 2007-10-16.

Air Jamaica also holds a foreign air carrier permit, which authorizes it to provide scheduled foreign air transportation between points in Jamaica and several points in the United States, including Miami. See Order 1989-3-74, as amended by Order 1991-8-6. In addition, Air Jamaica holds an exemption that authorizes it to engage in the full scope of foreign air transportation available to Jamaican carriers under the U.S.-Jamaica "open skies" agreement, including scheduled foreign air transportation from points behind Jamaica via Jamaica and intermediate points to a point or points in the United States and beyond. See Notice of Action Taken dated March 6, 2006 (Docket OST-2004-17040).

Counsel: Hogan & Hartson, George Carneal, 202-637-6546, gucarneal@hhlaw.com for Air Jamaica / Holland & Knight, Anita Mosner, 202-955-3000, anita.mosner@hklaw.com for Virgin Atlantic

Filed January 9, 2008 | Approved February 22, 2008

Department Action on Application

Joint application of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and Air Jamaica Limited for: 1) a statement of authorization to permit Virgin Atlantic to display the Air Jamaica designator code (JM*) on flights operated by Virgin Atlantic between London and Miami; and 2) a statement of authorization to permit Air Jamaica to display the Virgin Atlantic designator code (VS*) on flights operated by Air Jamaica between Miami, on the one hand, and Kingston and Montego Bay, on the other hand. The applicants indicate that they plan to offer services between London and KingstonlMontego Bay via Miami.

By: Robert Finnamore