Aeronautics and Space
As used in this part:
Act
Air transportation
Category
Commercial air operations
Exemption
Foreign air carrier permit
Foreign aircraft permit
Foreign civil aircraft
Stop for non-traffic purposes
Type
The provisions of this part regulate the admission to, and navigation in, the United States of foreign civil aircraft other than aircraft operated under authority contained in a foreign air carrier permit or exemption. This part also contains provisions that specify the extent to which certain classes of flight operations by foreign civil aircraft may be conducted, and the terms and conditions applicable to such operations. Nothing in this part shall authorize any foreign civil aircraft to engage in air transportation nor be deemed to provide for such authorization by the Department.
Subject to the observance of the applicable rules, conditions, and limitations set forth in this part:
(a) Foreign civil aircraft manufactured in a State that at the time of manufacture was a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and registered in a State that at the time of flight is a member of ICAO, may be navigated in the United States;
(b) Foreign civil aircraft manufactured in a State that at the time of manufacture was not a member of ICAO, and registered in a State that at the time of flight is a member of ICAO, may be navigated in the United States,
(1) If the State of registry has notified ICAO that the requirements under which it issues or renders valid certificates of airworthiness are equal to or above the minimum standards established pursuant to the Chicago Convention, or
(2) If such notification has not been made to ICAO at the time of flight, there is on file with the Department a statement by the State of registry that, with regard to aircraft of the type that is proposed to be operated hereunder, the requirements under which certificates of airworthiness are issued or rendered valid are equal to or above the minimum standards established pursuant to the Chicago Convention.
A foreign civil aircraft, including unmanned aircraft as defined in § 1.1 of this title, other than those referred to in § 375.10 may be navigated in the United States only when:
(a) The operation is authorized by the Department under the provisions of this part, and
(b) The aircraft complies with any applicable airworthiness standards of the Federal Aviation Administration for its operation.
The provisions of this part, and of any permit issued hereunder, together with section 1108(b) of the Act, are designed, among other purposes, to carry out the international undertakings of the United States in the Chicago Convention, in particular Article 5. That article gives foreign aircraft the privilege of “taking on or discharging passengers, cargo or mail” subject to the right of the State where such embarkation or discharge takes place to impose such regulations, conditions or limitations as it may consider desirable. The U.S. Congress by the 1953 amendment to section 6 of the Air Commerce Act of 1926, now designated as section 1108(b) of the Act, authorizes the Department to permit such operations only where conditions of reciprocity and the interest of the public in the United States are met. Thus, the operator of any foreign registered aircraft is not entitled as a matter of right to the issuance, renewal or freedom from modification or change in a permit issuable pursuant to this authority. Accordingly, any authority conferred by this part may be withheld, revoked, amended, modified, restricted, suspended, withdrawn, or canceled by the Department in the interest of the public of the United States, without notice or hearing.
Foreign civil aircraft shall carry currently effective certificates of registration and airworthiness issued or rendered valid by the country of registry and shall display the nationality and registration markings of that country. However, a foreign civil aircraft may carry, in lieu of such certificate of airworthiness, an effective special flight authorization issued by the Federal Aviation Administration for the operations being performed.
Members of the flight crew of a foreign civil aircraft shall have in their personal possession valid airman certificates or licenses authorizing them to perform their assigned functions in the aircraft and for the operation involved issued or rendered valid by the country of registry of the aircraft or by the United States. No such flight crew members shall perform any flight duty within the United States that they are not currently authorized to perform in the country issuing or validating the certificate.
Flights of foreign civil aircraft in the United States shall be conducted in accordance with the currently applicable rules of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Foreign civil aircraft that are permitted to navigate in the United States on the basis of foreign airworthiness certificates must conform to the limitations on maximum certificated weights prescribed or authorized for the particular variation of the aircraft type, and for the particular category of use, by the country of manufacture of the aircraft type involved.
All U.S. entry and clearance requirements for aircraft, passengers, crews, baggage and cargo shall be followed.
No foreign civil aircraft shall be navigated in the United States unless authorized by this part. Commercial air operations (other than those authorized by § 375.36) shall not be undertaken without a permit issued by the Department.
Owners and operators of aircraft operated under this part that are engaged in proprietary of commercial activities waive any defense of sovereign immunity from suit in any action or proceeding instituted against any of them in any court or other tribunal in the United States for any claim relating to that operation.
Foreign civil aircraft that are not engaged in commercial air operations into, out of, or within the United States may be operated in the United States and may carry non-revenue traffic to, from or between points in the United States.
Flights of foreign civil aircraft within the United States may be made for the purpose of demonstration of the aircraft or any component thereof (including demonstrations at airshows), provided no persons, cargo or mail are carried for remuneration or hire.
Foreign civil aircraft that are engaged in agricultural or industrial operations to be performed wholly outside the United States may be navigated into, out of, and within the United States in connection with those operations provided that the aircraft is not at the time engaged in the carriage of passengers, cargo, or mail for remuneration or hire.
Foreign civil aircraft carrying passengers, property or mail for remuneration or hire, but not engaged in scheduled international air services, are authorized to navigate nonstop across the territory of the United States and to make stops for non-traffic purposes. The navigation of foreign civil aircraft in the United States is not authorized under this section when the elapsed time between landing and takeoff at a stop in the United States exceeds 24 hours and passengers are permitted to leave the airport or when passengers, property or mail are transferred to another aircraft. Flights involving stops under such circumstances may, however, be performed in the case of emergency relating to the safey of the aircraft, passengers, cargo or crew.
Foreign civil aircraft may be operated in the United States for the purpose of giving indoctrination training in the operation of the aircraft concerned to a buyer or a buyer's employees or designees. This section does not, however, authorize foreign civil aircraft to be used within the United States for the purpose of flight instruction for remuneration or hire.
(a) Foreign civil aircraft may be navigated in the United States by a foreign air carrier for the transportation of persons and property specified in paragraph (b) of this section over the following non-traffic segments provided such transportation is not for compensation or hire:
(1) Between two or more points in the United States;
(2) Between a point in the United States named in the carrier's section 402 permit or exemption, and a point outside the United States not so named, when authorized in accordance with the provisions of part 216 of this chapter to carry blind sector traffic to or from such unnamed foreign point; and
(3) Between a point in the United States and a point outside thereof when the carrier lands at the United States point for non-traffic purposes in exercise of the privilege granted under the International Air Services Transit Agreement.
(b) Free transportation may be provided under this section for the following categories of persons and property:
(1) Directors, officers and employees, and their parents and immediate families, of the foreign air carrier operating the aircraft;
(2) Directors, officers and employees, and their parents and immediate families, of an air carrier or another foreign air carrier traveling pursuant to a pass interchange arrangement;
(3) Travel agents being transported for the purpose of familiarizing themselves with the carrier's services, if the agents are under no obligation to sell the transporting carrier's services;
(4) Witnesses and attorneys attending any legal investigation in which any such foreign air carrier is involved;
(5) Persons injured in aircraft accidents and physicians and nurses attending such persons;
(6) Any persons or property with the object of providing relief in cases of general epidemic, natural disaster or other catastrophe;
(7) Any person who has the duty of guarding foreign government officials travelling on official business; and
(8) Guests of a foreign air carrier (including members of the press) on delivery flights of newly-acquired or newly-renovated aircraft.
(c) A charge reasonably related to the value of meals and beverages furnished enroute shall not be deemed to constitute compensation or hire for purposes of this section.
Foreign civil aircraft that are leased without crew to an air carrier or citizen or permanent resident of the United States, and used by the lessee in otherwise authorized air transportation or commercial air operations, may be operated into, out of, and within the United States in accordance with any applicable regulations prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
For purposes of this section, “company” is defined as a person that operates civil aircraft in furtherance of a business other than air transportation. U.S.-registered foreign civil aircraft that are not otherwise engaged in commercial air operations, or foreign air transportation, and which are operated by a company in the furtherance of a business other than transportation by air, when the carriage is within the scope of, and incidental to, the business of the company (other than transportation by air), may be operated to, from, and within the United States as follows:
(a) Intra-company operations.
(b) Interchange operations.
(c) Joint ownership operations.
(d) Time-sharing operations.
(1) Fuel, oil, lubricants, and other additives.
(2) Travel expenses of the crew, including food, lodging, and ground transportation.
(3) Hanger and tie-down costs away from the aircraft's base of operations.
(4) Insurance obtained for the specific flight.
(5) Landing fees, airport taxes, and similar assessments.
(6) Customs, foreign permit, and similar fees directly related to the flight.
(7) In flight food and beverages.
(8) Passenger ground transportation.
(9) Flight planning and weather contract services.
(10) An additional charge equal to 100 percent of the expenses for fuel, oil, lubricants, and other additives.
Foreign civil aircraft that are small unmanned aircraft used exclusively as model aircraft may be operated in the United States only when the individual:
(a) Completes the registration process in accordance with §§ 48.30, 48.100(b) and (c), 48.105, and 48.115 of this title;
(b) Identifies the aircraft in accordance with the aircraft marking requirements in §§ 48.200 and 48.205 of this title; and
(c) Complies with the requirements of Sec. 336 of Pub. L. 112-95 (Feb. 14, 2012).
(a) Permit required.
(b) Aircraft are not authorized to engage in air transportation under this section. Where an operation involves the carriage of persons, property or mail for compensation or hire, the Department will determine whether particular flights for which a permit is sought will be in common carriage, and therefore in air transportation, based on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the applicant's entire operations. The burden rests upon the applicant in each instance to demonstrate by an appropriate factual showing that the contemplated operation will not constitute common carriage from, to or within the United States. In general, an applicant that holds itself out to the public, or to a particular class or segment, as willing to furnish transportation for hire is a common carrier.
Foreign civil aircraft shall not be used for such commercial air operations as crop dusting, pest control, pipeline patrol, mapping, surveying, banner towing, skywriting or similar agricultural or industrial operations within the United States, including its territorial waters and overlying airspace, unless a permit has been issued by the Department and the operation is conducted in accordance with all applicable State and local laws and regulations as well as the applicable provisions of this part.
Occasional planeload charters may be authorized where, because of their limited nature and extent, special equipment or facilities utilized, or other circumstances pertaining to them, it appears that they are not within the scope of the applicant's normal holding out of transportation services to the general public. Such charters are normally limited to those in which the entire capacity of the aircraft is engaged by a single charterer, and since they are occasional in nature, should not exceed for any one applicant more than six flights during a calendar year. This part does not authorize operations that involve solicitation of the general public such as is usually involved in the transportation of individually-ticketed passengers or individually-waybilled cargo, or in which the charterer is a travel agent, a charter operator, a broker, an air freight forwarder or any other organization that holds itself out to the general public to provide transportation services. Carriage of cargo for the operator's own account is governed by the provisions of this section if the cargo is to be resold or otherwise used in the furtherance of a business other than the business of providing carriage by aircraft.
(a) Applications for foreign aircraft permits shall be submitted on OST Form 4509, (Appendix A), in duplicate, addressed to the Chief, Discrete Operations Branch, Licensing Division, P-45, Office of Aviation Operations. Upon a showing of good cause, applications may be made by telegram or by telephone.
(b) Applications shall contain a proper identification (including citizenship) of the applicant (the operator of the aircraft concerned) and of the owner thereof (if different from the applicant), a description of the aircraft by make, model, and registration marks; and a full description of the operations for which authority is desired, indicating type and dates of operations and number of flights, and routing. In the case of cargo flights, the names of all contractors, agents, if any, and the beneficial owner of the cargo, and a description of the cargo and of the proposed operations shall be provided. In the case of passenger flights, a full identification and description of the group chartering the aircraft, and identification of the travel agent, if any, shall be provided. Applications shall also contain a statement as to whether the applicant's homeland allows operators of U.S.-registered aircraft to conduct similar operations.
(c) Applications shall be filed at least 15 days in advance of the proposed commencement date of the operations. The Department may direct the applicant to serve copies of its application on additional persons. Late applications may be considered by the Department upon a showing of good cause.
(d)(1) Any party in interest may file a memorandum supporting or opposing an application. Two copies of each memorandum shall be filed within 7 business days after the application is filed but no later than the proposed commencement date of the operations. Memoranda will be considered to the extent practicable; the Department may act on an application without waiting for supporting or opposing memoranda to be filed.
(2) Each memorandum shall set forth the reasons why the applications should be granted or denied, accompanied by whatever data, including affidavits, the Department is asked to consider.
(3) A copy of each memorandum shall be served on the applicant.
(e)(1) Unless otherwise ordered by the Department, each application and memorandum filed in response shall be available for public inspection at the Licensing Division of the Office of Aviation Operations immediately upon filing. Notice of the filing of all applications shall be published in the Department's Weekly List of Applications Filed.
(2) Any person objecting to public disclosure of any information in an application or memorandum must state the grounds for the objection in writing. If the Department finds that disclosure of all or part of the information should be withheld under applicable provisions of law, and the public interest does not require disclosure, it will order that the injurious information be withheld.
(a) The Department will issue a foreign aircraft permit if it finds that the proposed operations meet the requirements of this part and are in the public interest. Foreign aircraft permits may be conditioned or limited by the Department. Permits must be carried aboard the applicant's aircraft during flight over U.S. territory, and are not transferable.
(b) In determining whether to grant a particular application, the Department will consider, among other factors, the extent to which the country of the applicant's nationality deals with U.S. civil aircraft operators on the basis of substantial reciprocity, and whether the operation is otherwise in the public interest.
(a) Cargo documents.
(b) [Reserved]
(c) Contents of documents for passenger flights.prior to flight a list of names and addresses of all passengers to be transported on each flight.
(d) Reports of unused authority.
(a) Requirement of notice.
(b) Filing of the notice.
(c) Content of notice.
(1) The name, country or organization, and citizenship of the operator, and, if other than the operator, of the carrier offering the services to the public. If any interest (direct or indirect) in the operator or offeror of services is held by nationals of a country other than the country of organization or citizenship, the nature and extent of such interest must be fully disclosed. If any officer or director of the operator or carrier offering the services is a national of a country other than the country of organization or citizenship, the position of duties of such officer or director, and the officer and director's relevant position in relation to other officers and directors must similarly be fully disclosed. If the information required in this subsection has been previously supplied to the Department, the applicant may incorporate it by reference.
(2) The State of registration of the aircraft proposed to be operated.
(3) A full description of the proposed operations including the type of operations (passenger, property, mail, or combination), date of commencement, duration and frequency of flights, and routing (including each terminal and intermediate point to be served).
(4) A statement as to whether or not any advertisement or publication of the proposed operations has been made in the United States. If there has been any advertisement or publication of the operations in the United States, copies of all such advertisements or publications shall be included.
(5) Any change with respect to these matters (minor changes in schedules or routing excepted) shall also be filed with the Department.
(d) Authorized operations.
(1) The proposed services are authorized pursuant to the terms of the International Air Services Transit Agreement;
(2) Substantial ownership and effective control are vested in nationals of a State party to the International Air Services Transit Agreement;
(3) The proposed operations will be in compliance with the laws of the United States, the Department's rules, or the provisions of this section; or
(4) The operator or its government have performed their obligations under the International Air Services Transit Agreement.
(e) Prohibited operations.
(f) Foreign aircraft permit—application and procedures.
(g) Short notice filing.
(h) Nature of privilege conferred.
The operation of a foreign aircraft within the United States or over adjacent territorial waters in violation of the provisions of this part constitutes a violation of the Federal Aviation Act and of this chapter, and may, in addition, constitute a violation of the rules of the Federal Aviation Administration. Such operation makes the person or persons responsible for the violation or violations subject to a civil penalty as provided in section 901 of the Act, and to the alteration, amendment, modification, suspension or revocation of any permit issued under this part and of any U.S. certificate involved as provided in section 609 of the Act. Engaging in air transportation as defined in the Act by a foreign aircraft without a foreign air carrier permit issued pursuant to section 402 of the Act or an exemption, or in violation of the terms of such authority constitutes not only a violation of this part but of title IV of the Act as well, which entails a criminal penalty as set forth in section 902 of the Act.
Any person desiring to navigate a foreign civil aircraft within the United States other than as specifically provided in this part may petition the Department for a special authorization to conduct the particular flight or series of flights. Such authorization may be issued only if the Department finds that the proposed operation is fully consistent with the applicable law, that the applicant's homeland grants a similar privilege with respect to operators of U.S.-registered aircraft, and that the proposed operation is in the interest of the public of the United States.
"Good judgement seeks balance and progress. Lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration."