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

U.S.-SOUTH AFRICA THIRD-COUNTRY CODE-SHARE SERVICES

Effective November 1, 1997, the United States may designate two U.S. carriers to serve South Africa under code-share arrangements with third-country carriers as specified under U.S. Route A3 of the U.S. South Africa Air Transport Agreement.¹ An additional carrier may be authorized effective November 1, 1998, and another effective November 1, 1999.²

By this notice, we invite all U.S carriers interested in using the third-country code-share opportunities which become available November 1, 1997, to file applications with the Department. Such applications should be filed by May 22, 1997. Answers to such applications should be filed by June 2, 1997. Replies to answers should be filed by June 9, 1997.

Carriers without requisite operating authority should file certificate applications and requests for statements of authorization to serve the affected markets in conjunction with their third-country code-share partners. Carriers with the requisite underlying authority and statements of authorization need only file requests for a designation. All applications should include, at a minimum, the following information: (a) the proposed startup date; (b) the markets to be served, frequencies per market, and duration of service in each market, if not to be provided on a year-round basis; (c) type of aircraft to be used in each market; (d) the code-share partner involved and the country and specific intermediate point over which the services will be provided; and (e) existing authority held to conduct the operations, if applicable. In addition, carriers must provide as a part of their applications, copies of the relevant cooperative service arrangements. Applicants are free to submit any additional information that they believe will help us in making our decision.

While the U.S.-South Africa Agreement provides for additional designations beginning in 1998 and 1999, we will solicit applications for these designations at a later date.

Except for the procedural dates, certificate applications should conform to Part 302, Subpart Q, of our regulations (14 CFR Part 302). Applications should be filed with the Department, Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington DC 20590.³ Further procedures for acting on the applications filed, if necessary, will be established in the future by Department notice or order.

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

By:

(SEAL)

Dated: May 5, 1997

[1] Under Route A3, the designated U.S. carriers may operate from a point or points in the United States via a total of four intermediate points (on a phased-in basis) in Europe, South America and/or Canada, and beyond via any intermediate point in Africa to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, and (2) beyond on a code-share-only basis with an airline or airlines of South Africa to the code-share-only points as specified under the Agreement without local traffic rights; and (b) to points beyond South Africa on a blind-sector basis with the same third-country airline. There are no local traffic rights between intermediate points and South Africa. No more than one U.S. airline may hold out third-country code-share service over the same intermediate point in Europe, South America and/or Canada.

[2] The Agreement further states that South Africa may elect to designate an airline for third-country code-share services before November 1, 1997, and that if it does so, then (a) the first two designations of the United States will be available six months after the South African designation is made, and (b) the subsequent designations for each Party will be available one and two years, respectively, after the date on which the United States is entitled to make its initial designations. As of the date of this Notice, we have not been notified of any designation by the Government of South Africa; hence, the November 1, 1997 effective date applies.

[3] The original submission is to be unbound and without tabs on 8½" x 11" white paper using dark ink (not green) to facilitate use of the Department's docket imaging system.