(a) Foreign air carrier operations in the United States. This part prescribes rules governing the operation within the United States of each foreign air carrier holding the following:

(1) A permit issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation under 49 U.S.C. 41301 through 41306, or

(2) Other appropriate economic or exemption authority issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

(b) Operations of U.S.-registered aircraft solely outside the United States. In addition to the operations specified under paragraph (a) of this section, §§ 129.5, 129.7, 129.9, 129.11, 129.14, 129.20 and 129.24, and subpart B of this part also apply to operations of U.S.-registered aircraft operated solely outside the United States in common carriage by a foreign person or foreign air carrier.

(c) Definitions. For the purpose of this part—

(1) Foreign person means any person who is not a citizen of the United States and who operates a U.S.-registered aircraft in common carriage solely outside the United States.

(2) Regional Safety Oversight Organization means an association or organization that comprises a group of member States, which—

(i) Has provided notification to the International Civil Aviation Organization of the scope of tasks and functions delegated or transferred to the Regional Safety Oversight Organization, including but not limited to: sharing common or harmonized aviation regulations, licensing, certification, authorization, approval, and surveillance of civil aviation activities, and any legal authority delegated or transferred by a member State to the Regional Safety Oversight Organization; and

(ii) Has stipulated the specific tasks, functions, delegations, and transfers by member States discussed in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section, and any other collective understandings of member States in Regional Safety Oversight Organization formation documentation, such as an agreement, treaty, or informal record, that is available for review by the Administrator.

(3) State of the operator means the State in which the operator's principal place of business is located or, if there is no such place of business, the operator's permanent residence.

(4) Years in service means the calendar time elapsed since an aircraft was issued its first U.S. or first foreign airworthiness certificate.