UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation on May 3, 2006

NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN -- DOCKET OST-2006-24635

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken
by the Department official indicated (no additional confirming order
will be issued in this matter).

Applicant:  AVIATION SKYSERVICE INC. (Skyservice)		 	           Date
Filed:  Filed orally on April 20, 2006,   

                                                                        
                                                                 and
confirmed in writing on April 25, 2006

Relief requested:  Exemption from 49 USC § 40109(g) to permit the
applicant to operate one, one-way, medical evacuation flight on behalf
of International SOS Assistance,  from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands,
to Miami, Florida, on April 20, 2006.  The applicant states that the
flight would carry one patient and accompanying medical personnel.  The
applicant asserts International SOS Assistance needs the subject lift to
transport a U.S. citizen having a high-risk pregnancy and requiring
immediate medical treatment in Miami; that International SOS Assistance
advised it that no U.S. carrier having the necessary equipment and
personnel was available to operate this flight; and that Aviation
Skyservice has an air ambulance aircraft equipped with a neonatal
incubator for use in the event of an onboard delivery.  

Applicant representative:  Don H. Hainbach, 202-776-3970    		          
DOT analyst:  Robert J. Finamore, 202-366-2405

Responsive pleadings:  None.

Statutory Standards:  Under 49 USC § 40109(g), we may authorize a
foreign air carrier to carry commercial traffic between U.S. points
(i.e., cabotage traffic) under limited circumstances.  Specifically, we
must find that the authority is required in the public interest; that
because of an emergency created by unusual circumstances not arising in
the normal course of business the traffic cannot be accommodated by U.S.
carriers holding certificates under 49 USC § 41102; that all possible
efforts have been made to place the traffic on U.S. carriers; and that
the transportation is necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship to the
traffic involved (an additional required finding, concerning emergency
transportation during labor disputes, was not relevant here).

DISPOSITION

Action: Approved.                                                       
                                                           		      
Action date: April 20, 2006

Effective date of authority granted: April 20, 2006

Basis for approval:  On April 20, 2006, we orally granted Skyservice’s
request to operate the proposed one-way flight (described above), on
behalf of International SOS Assistance, and we confirm that action here.
 In taking our action of April 20, 2006, we found that the applicant’s
request met all the relevant criteria of 49 USC § 40109(g) for the
grant of an exemption of this type, and that the grant was required in
the public interest.  Specifically, we were persuaded that the need to
move the patient from St. Croix for immediate medical treatment in Miami
constituted an emergency not arising in the normal course of business. 
Moreover, based on the information provided by International SOS
Assistance, we concluded that no U.S. carrier had aircraft available
that could be used to conduct the operations at issue here.  We also
found that grant of this authority would prevent unreasonable hardship
to the patient needing immediate treatment.  Finally, we found that the
applicant was qualified to perform its proposed operations.

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to our
standard exemption conditions (attached). 

Action taken by:        				Michael W. Reynolds

Acting Assistant Secretary for Aviation 

and International Affairs

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

  HYPERLINK "http://dms.dot.gov//reports/reports_aviation.asp" 
http://dms.dot.gov//reports/reports_aviation.asp 

FOREIGN CARRIER EXEMPTION CONDITIONS                                    
                       		       ATTACHMENT

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier
applicant(s) shall:

1) Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective
authorization from its homeland for such operations, and it has filed a
copy of such authorization with the Department;

2) Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation
Administration, including, but not limited to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, and
36, and with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning
security, including, but not limited to, 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as
applicable.  To assure compliance with all applicable U.S. Government
requirements concerning security, the holder shall, before commencing
any new service (including charter flights) from a foreign airport that
would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States,
contact its International Principal Security Inspector (IPSI) to advise
the IPSI of its plans and to find out whether the Transportation
Security Administration has determined that security is adequate to
allow such airport(s) to be served;

3) Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage contained
in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the commencement of any operations
under this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the form of a
completed OST Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s
Program Management Branch (AFS-260), Flight Standards Service (any
changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be filed with that
office);

4) Not operate aircraft under this authority unless it complies with
operational safety requirements at least equivalent to Annex 6 of the
Chicago Convention;

5) Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirements of
its Government for international air services;

6) Except as specifically exempted or otherwise provided for in a
Department Order, comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 203,
concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defenses;

7) Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of
sovereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 1605(a), but only with
respect to those actions or proceedings instituted against it in any
court or other tribunal in the United States that are: a) based on its
operations in international air transportation that, according to the
contract of carriage, include a point in the United States as a point of
origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for which the
contract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or b) based on
a claim under any international agreement or treaty cognizable in any
court or other tribunal of the United States.  In this condition, the
term “international air transportation” means “international
transportation” as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except that all
States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the
purpose of this definition;

8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or
terminate all flights to/from the United States in its homeland;

9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the
reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and charter data;

10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provided
in the applicable aviation agreement, comply with the Department’s
rules governing charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380); and

11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations
required by the public interest as may be prescribed by the Department,
with all applicable orders or regulations of other U.S. agencies and
courts, and with all applicable laws of the United States.

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder
is not in compliance with the conditions imposed above.  Moreover, this
authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit
Department approval under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.                    
                                                                        
       						 

05/2004

 

