(a) It is the policy of the Department(jointly with the Department of State) that, as a general rule, landing rights abroad for United States flag air carriers will be acquired through negotiation by the U.S. Government with foreign governments rather than by direct negotiation between an air carrier and a foreign government.

(b) It is corollary to the foregoing policy that no United States air carrier may avail itself of representations by one foreign government to further its interest with another foreign government, especially with respect to landing rights, except insofar as such representations have been specifically authorized by the U.S. Government.

It is the policy of the Department to limit the duration of exemptions which authorize fixed-term route service to a maximum period of two years, and to entertain requests for renewal of such authority only when incorporated in a duly filed application for substantially equivalent certificate authority under section 401 of the Act. (See § 377.10(c) of this chapter (Special Regulations).)

In deciding applications for exemptions from section 41102 of Title 49 of the United States Code by air carriers seeking to perform charter service in air transportation, we will give primary weight to the chartering public's own assessment of the air carrier services that best meet its transportation needs. Therefore, we will not, as a general rule, consider as relevant to our decision on such applications, objections based upon (1) offers by the objectors to perform the charter service, and/or (2) estimates of revenue or traffic diversion, unless in the latter case the objectors demonstrate that the diversion resulting from grant of the exemption would threaten their ability to fulfill their certificate obligations.