Served: July 13, 2004

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Docket OST-1996-1629

Notice to All Parties		

Subject: Informal, Working Group Discussions on International Mail Rates

By notice dated April 26, 2004, the Department called an informal
meeting to address international mail rates.  The meeting was held on
May 26 and attended by representatives of the Postal Service and the
carriers.  (See items 336 and 337 in this docket for a list of
participants.)  In response to that meeting, the Postal Service filed a
response on June 15 and the Air Transport Association (ATA) on June 29. 
Both ask for continued meetings, limited to a smaller working group than
the initial meeting, and again chaired by the Department.  The Postal
Service suggested that there be a total of approximately one dozen
members to the working group, including four to seven air carrier
representatives (not limited to ATA members).  The other members would
include Postal Service, Department and one military representative.  ATA
suggested that the Department establish the composition of the working
group for the carriers and the terms of reference for the meeting.  

We hereby set the first working group meeting, to continue the dialogue
on resolving international mail rate proposals.  The meeting will be
held on July 27, at 10:00 a.m. in room 10118 of the Department of
Transportation.  As expressed by the Postal Service in its June 21
letter, there was some consensus at the earlier meeting to limit
attendees to approximately a dozen total, in the interest of continuity,
efficiency, and representation.  We will also file notes in the docket
to the working group meeting so that the dialogue will be public, and
thus provide opportunity for other parties who are not members of the
working group to make their positions known.  Before the Department acts
on any issues, we will use our written show-cause procedures.  With
regard to ATA’s request, it would not be appropriate for the
Department to choose the carrier representatives.  The carriers and the
Postal Service military representative should send a list of attendees
to   HYPERLINK "mailto:Kevin.Adams@ost.dot.gov"  Kevin.Adams@ost.dot.gov
.  

The Department is located at 400 7th Street, SW, and admittance is
through the southwest corner.  Kevin Adams will post himself at this
corridor starting at 9:30 to enable access past the security checkpoint.
 Photo identification is required.

By:

Randall Bennett, Director 

   Office of Aviation Analysis

Dated: July 13, 2004

(SEAL)

An electronic version of this document will be available on the World
Wide Web at:

<http://dms.dot.gov/>

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