UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
OFFICE OF THE SECETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C.

SERVED: June 12, 1997

NOTICE

U.S.-Russia Combination Services

Under the Air Transport Agreement between the United States and the Russian Federation (Agreement), up to six combination carriers may operate from a point or points in the United States via intermediate points to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Magadan, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and beyond to China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. No more than three U.S. combination carriers may operate between any city pair on the route specified. Operations by designated U.S. carriers are limited to a total of 54 round-trip frequencies per week for combination services.

By Order 96-10-1, the Department allocated U.S.-Russia combination service weekly frequencies as follows: Alaska Airlines, 3 frequencies; Delta Air Lines, 19; Northwest Airlines, 8.5; Trans World Airlines, 7; and United Air Lines, 7. With these allocations a balance of 4.5 frequencies remained available for future allocation. The frequency allocations are subject to our standard 90-day dormancy provision. Since our order, TWA’s frequencies have been relinquished to the Department for reallocation. Thus, a total of 11.5 weekly frequencies are available for U.S.-Russia combination services.

Continental Airlines, Inc. has applied for an exemption and for seven weekly frequencies to conduct Newark-Moscow services with its own aircraft. In addition, Delta has applied for an additional 4.5 weekly frequencies which it would operate under code-share arrangements with Austrian Airlines and Swissair. Since grant of the requested frequencies would use all of the frequencies currently available for U.S. carrier U.S.-Russia Federation combination services, before we proceed with these applications, we will afford all U.S. carriers interested in serving the market a further opportunity to apply for the available frequencies.

Carriers without the requisite U.S.-Russia Federation operating authority may file exemption and frequency applications no later than June 19, 1997; answers shall be due no later than June 24, 1997; and replies no later than June 27, 1997. Carriers already holding requisite underlying U.S.-Russia Federation operating authority should request frequency allocations by the exemption application date. Should no other applications be filed for the available 11.5 frequencies, we intend to act affirmatively on the two outstanding requests.

Except for the procedural dates, exemption and frequency allocation applications should conform to Part 302, Subpart D of our regulations (14 CFR Part 302). Applications should be filed with the Department, Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

We will serve this notice on all U.S. certificated air carriers.

By:

PAUL L. GRETCH
Director, Office of
International Aviation

(SEAL)

Dated: June 6, 1997