OST-1996-1600 - Expanded Cargo Transfer Flexibility at Alaskan International Airports

OST-1996-1600

Expanded Cargo Transfer Flexibility at Alaskan International Airports

OST-1996-1600

September 17, 1997

Application of the State of Alaska for Renewal of Exemption

Within the first six months after the order was issued, five Asian carriers entered into discussions with airport management at Anchorage International Airport to determine how and where cargo transfer operations can be carried out. In addition, U.S. carriers have actively inquired about interlining opportunities made possible by the order. Three nationally known air cargo facility developers applied for land leases at Anchorage International Airport to construct multi-tenant cargo facilities, one of whom has expressed interest in similar development at Fairbanks International Airport. One developer, Lynxs/MAPCO, successfully bid and signed a lease for a 30 acre site at Anchorage International Airport and has announced plans to invest $25 million in a cargo facility that will include a 100,000 square foot building with up to ten widebody cargo aircraft parking stands. Another developer is currently negotiating a lease at Anchorage for a multi-year phased development of a 90 acre site that would eventually be a 1.4 million square foot facility with 18 widebody cargo aircraft parking stands, and a $120 million investment.

Service List

By: Anchorage International Airport, Morton Plumb

Posted November 3, 1997

Notice of Action

Relief requested: RENEW exemption from 49 U.S.C. 41301 authorized by Order 96-11-2 granting certain blanket authority to foreign air carriers to conduct expanded cargo transfer activities at international airports in the State of Alaska.

Counsel: Morton Plumb, 907-266-2525

Action Taken February 6, 1998

Notice of Action

By Order 96-11-2, as renewed on November 3, 1997, we granted certain blanket authority toforeign air carriers to conduct expanded cargo transfer activities at international airports in the Stateof Alaska. We did not include the foreign air carriers of Japan in our blanket grant in light of ourongoing aviation negotiations with the Japanese Government, stating that the unilateral grant of suchauthority could compromise our ability to achieve our negotiating objectives. On January 30, 1998, the United States and Japan agreed to authorize new services, including new all-cargo services, in the U.S.-Japan market. Delegations of the United States and Japan signed a Memorandum of Consultations (MOC) that included attached understandings regarding the elements to be included in a Memorandum of Understanding. The delegations also agreed that the provisions of those understandings would be provisionally in effect upon signing of the MOC, pending conclusion of an interim agreement.

We, sue sponte, amend the authority granted in Docket OST-96-1600 to authorize foreign air carriers of Japan to exercise the cargo transfer activities described in Order 96-11-2.

By: Charles Hunnicutt

OST-96-1600

Filed and Approved November 3, 1998

Notice of Action Taken

Expanded Cargo Transfer Flexibility

By Order 96-l1-2 (November 1, 1996), as renewed on November 3, 1997, and amended on February 6, 1998, we granted certain blanket exemption authority to foreign air carriers to conduct expanded cargo transfer activities at international airports in the State of Alaska.

By: Paul Gretch

OST-96-1600	September 26, 2000 Docketed October 10, 2000	Application of the State of Alaska for Renewal of Exemption for Expanded Cargo Transfer Authorities at Alaskan International Airport	Expanded Cargo Transfer Flexibility
		Service List

The intended positive effect, stimulating interest by air carriers and by private cargo facility developers to take full advantage of Alaska's ideal location for global cargo hubs, is already evidenced as a result of the November 1996 grant of Alaska cargo transfer authority. The grant of authority is clearly facilitating the envisioned greater development of international cargo operations at U.S. airports or in Alaska.

Within the last exemption period, two foreign carriers entered into cargo transfer operations at Anchorage. In addition, five U.S. carriers currently have transfer operations at Anchorage, made possible by the order. In the next eighteen months, we anticipate at least three additional foreign carriers to initiate cargo transfer operations using this authority. One developer, Williams/Lynxs, has leased for a 30 acre site at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and has built a new $25 million cargo facility that includes 100,000 square feet of warehouse space with up to 12 wide-body cargo aircraft parking stands. Three additional developers have expressed interest in leases for one of two sites to build a multi-year phased development each with up to sixteen wide-body cargo aircraft parking stands, and totaling as much as $120 million investment.

Counsel: Anchorage Airport, Morton Plumb, 907-266-2525

OST-96-1600

Filed October 10, 2000
Issued November 29, 2000

Notice of Action Taken

Expanded Cargo Transfer Flexibility

Renew certain blanket exemption authority to foreign air carriers to conduct expanded cargo transfer activities at international airports in the State of Alaska, first granted by Order 96-11-2 (November 1, 1996).

By: Paul Gretch

Order 96-11-2
OST-96-1600

October 7, 2002
Docketed October 8, 2002

Application for Renewal of Exemption

Expanded Cargo Transfer Authorities at Alaskan International Airports

Within the last extension period, three additional foreign carriers entered into cargo transfer operations at Anchorage; In addition, five U.S. carriers currently have transfer operations at Anchorage, made possible by the Order. In the next eighteen months, we anticipate additional foreign carriers to initiate cargo transfer operations using this authority. One developer, Williams/Lynxs Cargoport LLC, has built a new $25 million cargo facility at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. That facility includes 100,000 square feet of warehouse space with 12 wide-body cargo aircraft parking stands and currently accommodates Northwest Air Cargo, Atlas, and United Cargo. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is currently processing a new lease application for another cargo facility with an additional 12 wide-body cargo aircraft parking stands totaling as much as $140 million investment.

By: Morton Plumb

OST-96-1600	October 16, 2002	Answer of Evergreen International Airlines	State of Alaska Expanded Cargo Transfer Activities at International Airports in the State of Alaska
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Enthusiastically supports the application of the State of Alaska for renewal of the blanket authority granted to foreign air carriers under 49 U.S.C. 41301 to conduct expanded cargo transfer activities at international airports in the State of Alaska. Evergreen was the first U.S. carrier to support the original petition which was filed in 1996 by the State of Alaska and the Anchorage and Fairbanks international airports, to enable foreign air carriers to engage in expanded cargo transfer activities at Alaska's international airports.

Evergreen is a leading U.S. cargo carrier in Asia/Pacific markets. Evergreen and its sister companies have been very active in aviation in Alaska for more than four decades. In recent years, Evergreen has operated thousands of transpacific cargo flights between Alaska and Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, and other points throughout the Pacific rim. For nearly nine years, Evergreen has operated a dedicated DC-9 freighter for the U.S. Postal Service in Southeast Alaska. These USPS flights are operated six days per week between Seattle and Ketchikan, Sitka, and Juneau. For the past 15 months Evergreen also has operated a DC-9 freighter between Anchorage and Adak.

In addition, Evergreen's sister companies, Evergreen Helicopters of Alaska, Inc. and Evergreen Aviation Ground Logistics Enterprises, Inc. ("EAGLE") perform a substantial number of rotor- and fixed-wing flights, airport logistics and ground handling operations throughout the State of Alaska. EHA has been active in Alaska for more than forty years, and was instrumental in the development of the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and the building of the Alyeska pipeline. Evergreen Helicopters holds one of the oldest postal contracts in the United States, flying mail via helicopter from Nome to the tiny northwest communities of Diomede and Wales. The postal contract, begun in 1982, is the only one that uses helicopters to deliver the mail. EAGLE has significant ground handling operations at Anchorage, servicing flights operated by Evergreen and six U.S. and foreign air carriers, one of which is contemplating cargo transfer operations using the instant authority. As is apparent, increased cargo transfer operations made possible by an extension of the exemption authority would benefit EAGLE and other ground handlers and service provides as well as the airlines and the State of Alaska.

Counsel: Piper Rudnick, William Evans, 202-371-6030

OST-96-1600

October 17, 2002
Docketed October 18, 2002

Correspondence - Addition to Service List of Evergreen

State of Alaska - Expanded Cargo Transfer

Correspondence of Evergreen International Airlines, Inc. submitting a revised Certificate of Service to the October 16, 2002 Answer it filed.

Counsel: Piper Rudnick, William Evans, 202 371-6000

OST-96-1600

December 2, 2002

Notice of Action Taken

State of Alaska - Expanded Cargo Transfer

By: Paul Gretch

November 15, 2004

Application of The State of Alaska for Renewal of Exemption for Expanded Cargo Transfer Authorities at Alaskan International Airports

On November 1, 1996, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final Order, 96-11-2, granting blanket authority to foreign air carriers under 49 U.S.C. 41301 to conduct expanded cargo transfer activities at international airports in the State of Alaska. The Department subsequently extended this authority through December 2, 2004, under Notices of Action Taken, Docket Nos. 96-1600-30, 96-1600-33, 96-1600-35 and 96-1600-39. The State of Alaska hereby requests renewal of this exemption. In submitting this timely renewal application, the State of Alaska invokes the automatic extension provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act, 5 U.S.C. 558(c), as implemented by 14 C.F.R. 337.10(a) of the Department's regulations, to continue in effect the authority granted in Order 96-11-2, pending disposition of this renewal application.

By: Morton Plumb, Jr. and Jesse VanderZanden

September 6, 2006

Application of The State of Alaska for Renewal of Exemption

Currently nine U.S. and foreign carriers have transfer operations at Anchorage, made possible by this Order. We anticipate other foreign and domestic carriers to initiate cargo transfer operations in the near future. In addition, several private companies have recently announced plans to invest at Anchorage. Alaska Cargoport, UPS, FedEx, and Anchorage Global Logistics Airpark Development have announced plans to spend over $108 million in the next three years expanding the private cargo facilities at ANC.

By: Morton Plumb

Filed November 15, 2004 | Supplemented September 6, 2006 | Issued October 25, 2006

Notice of Action Taken

On September 6, 2006, the State of Alaska filed an additional application. Although the application was styled in the form of a renewal request, we are treating it as a supplement to the November 15, 2004 renewal application, to the extent that it provides updated information as to some aspects of the original renewal request. We note that the authority conferred by our December 22, 2002, Notice of Action Taken, cited above, has remained in effect under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 558(c) and 14 CFR Part 377 of the Department’s regulations.

By: Paul Gretch

Order 2007-4-10
OST-2006-23918 - Guam
OST-1996-1600 - Alaska

Issued and Served April 6, 2007

Order Amending Authority | Word

By this order we amend our earlier actions, granting certain blanket authority to foreign air carriers to provide expanded services at Guam and Alaska, to alter restrictions involving the use of this authority by foreign air carriers of the United Kingdom.

Since the time we issued our actions concerning Guam and Alaska, the United States and the European Union have negotiated the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement, which was approved by the European Council of Transport Ministers on March 22, 2007. This Agreement, which will be provisionally applied as of March 30, 2008, will, among other things, establish Open Skies between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Under these circumstances, we find that the public interest will no longer require that U.K. carriers be excluded from eligibility for the authority described herein once the U.S.-EU Agreement is provisionally applied. We will, therefore, amend our actions concerning Guam and Alaska to make the restrictions on U.K. carriers expire effective March 30, 2008.

We have taken the same action with respect to U.K. carriers in a similar case involving the authorization of foreign air carriers to provide expanded air services to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See Order 2007-4-9, issued April 6, 2007

By: Paul Gretch