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General

Legacy ID
2311

Designation Requests

Air service agreements sometime require that the U.S. Government formally notify its foreign aviation partners, in writing, that a particular U.S. airline may provide services pursuant to the applicable agreement.  This communication is commonly referred to as a “designation.”

Doing Business Issues

Resolving Doing-Business Issues

U.S. airlines sometimes encounter difficulties in conducting their international operations. The Office of International Aviation coordinates among U.S. government agencies and works with its foreign counterparts to resolve these “doing-business” issues.  If...

Air Service Agreements

The Office of International Aviation and the U.S. Department of State negotiate bilateral and multilateral air service agreements with the United States’ foreign aviation partners.  Such agreements provide the basis for airlines of the countries involved to provide international air...

Mergers and Acquisitions

Section 7 of the Clayton Act prohibits mergers and acquisitions that may substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly. While the Department of Justice enforces this statute, the Department of Transportation conducts its own competitive analysis of mergers and submits its views in...

Data Collection and Modernization

There have been several changes in the way that airlines conduct their operations since the Department's data reporting requirements were established after deregulation, including tremendous growth in code sharing both domestically and in international markets.  The Office of Aviation...

Slots and Exemptions

Slots and Slot Exemptions

At certain U.S. airports, demand for runway operations exceeds available capacity. At these airports, the Department has implemented operational limitations to relieve congestion in the form of airport slots. A slot is an authorization to conduct an...

Alaskan Mail Rates

Overview

49 USC 41903 requires that duly licensed U.S. certificated carriers transport mail on their authorized foreign air transportation service and their services within Alaska. 49 USC 41901 and 41907 require the Department to “set fair and reasonable rates” that the U.S. Postal Service will...

Rural Airports

Overview

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics, part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, has taken over responsibility for compiling a rural airports list annually for the Treasury Department/IRS, which is used by airlines to assist in establishing air fares. For...

Other Special Authorities

OverviewCanadian Air Taxi OperatorsForeign Air Freight ForwardersCanadian Air Taxi Operators  (CATO)

Canadian operators of small aircraft (fewer than 30 seats) that want to operate transborder charter services between the United States and Canada must register with the Department under Part...

Public Charters

Overview

The Department of Transportation’s public charter regulations (14 CFR Part 380) require all persons who wish to arrange public charter flights to first submit and obtain DOT acceptance of a charter prospectus. A charter prospectus comprises a set of documents in which the public...