Section 740.15 - Aircraft, vessels and spacecraft (AVS)This License Exception authorizes departure from the United States of foreign registry civil aircraft on temporary sojourn in the United States and of U.S. civil aircraft for temporary sojourn abroad; the export of equipment and spare parts for permanent use on a vessel or aircraft; exports to vessels or planes of U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK (the United Kingdom) registry and U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK Airlines' installations or agents; the export or reexport of cargo that will transit Cuba on an aircraft or vessel on temporary sojourn; and the export of spacecraft and components for fundamental research. Generally, no License Exception symbol is necessary for export clearance purposes; however, when necessary, the symbol "AVS" may be used.
(a)Aircraft on temporary sojourn -(1)Foreign registered aircraft. An operating civil aircraft of foreign registry that has been in the United States on a temporary sojourn may depart from the United States under its own power for any destination, provided that:(i) No sale or transfer of operational control of the aircraft to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part) has occurred while in the United States;(ii) The aircraft is not departing for the purpose of sale or transfer of operational control to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part); and(iii) It does not carry from the United States any item for which an export license is required and has not been granted by the U.S. Government.(2)U.S. registered aircraft.(i) A civil aircraft of U.S. registry operating under an Air Carrier Operating Certificate, Commercial Operating Certificate, or Air Taxi Operating Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or conducting flights under operating specifications approved by the FAA pursuant to 14 CFR part 129, or an air ambulance of U.S. registry operating under 14 CFR part 135, may depart from the United States under its own power for any destination, provided that: (A) The aircraft does not depart for the purpose of sale, lease or other disposition of operational control of the aircraft, or its equipment, parts, accessories, or components to a foreign country or any national thereof;(B) The aircraft's U.S. registration will not be changed while abroad;(C) The aircraft is not to be used in any foreign military activity while abroad; and(D) The aircraft does not carry from the United States any item for which a license is required and has not been granted by the U.S. Government.(ii) Any other operating civil aircraft of U.S. registry may depart from the United States under its own power for any destination, except to or a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part) (flights to these destinations require a license), provided that:(A) The aircraft does not depart for the purpose of sale, lease or other disposition of operational control of the aircraft, or its equipment, parts, accessories, or components to a foreign country or any national thereof;(B) The aircraft's U.S. registration will not be changed while abroad;(C) The aircraft is not to be used in any foreign military activity while abroad;(D) The aircraft does not carry from the United States any item for which an export license is required and has not been granted by the U.S. Government; and(E) The aircraft will be operated while abroad by a U.S. licensed pilot, except that during domestic flights within a foreign country, the aircraft may be operated by a pilot currently licensed by that foreign country.(3)Criteria. The following ten criteria each must be met if the flight is to qualify as a temporary sojourn. To be considered a temporary sojourn, the flight must not be for the purpose of sale or transfer of operational control. An export is for the transfer of operational control unless the exporter retains each of the following indicia of control:(i)Hiring of cockpit crew. Right to hire and fire the cockpit crew.(ii)Dispatch of aircraft. Right to dispatch the aircraft.(iii)Selection of routes. Right to determine the aircraft's routes (except for contractual commitments entered into by the exporter for specifically designated routes).(iv)Place of maintenance. Right to perform or obtain the principal maintenance on the aircraft, which principal maintenance is conducted outside a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part), under the control of a party who is not a national of any of these countries. (The minimum necessary in-transit maintenance may be performed in any country).(v)Location of spares. Spares are not located in a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(vi)Place of registration. The place of registration is not changed to a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(vii)Transfer of technology. No technology is transferred to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part), except the minimum necessary for in-transit maintenance to perform flight line servicing required to depart safely.(viii)Color and logos. The aircraft does not bear the livery, colors, or logos of a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(ix)Flight number. The aircraft does not fly under a flight number issued to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part) as such number appears in the Official Airline Guide.(x)Lease or charter. The aircraft is not leased to or chartered by a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(4)Reexports. Civil aircraft legally exported from the United States may be reexported under this section, provided the restrictions described in this paragraph (a) are met. Note to paragraph (a): An aircraft exported or reexported to a country pursuant to this paragraph (a) may not remain in that country for more than seven consecutive days before it departs for a country to which it may be exported without a license or the United States.
(b)Equipment and spare parts for permanent use on a vessel or aircraft, and ship and plane stores -(1)Vessel. Equipment and spare parts for permanent use on a vessel, when necessary for the proper operation of such vessel, may be exported or reexported for use on board a vessel of any registry, except a vessel registered in Country Group D:1 (see supplement no. 1 to part 740), Cuba, or owned or controlled by, or under charter or lease to any of these countries or their nationals. In addition, other equipment and services for necessary repair to fishing and fishery support vessels of Country Group D:1 may be exported for use on board such vessels when admitted into the United States under governing international fishery agreements.(2)Aircraft.(i) Equipment and spare parts, for permanent use on an aircraft, when necessary for the proper operation of such aircraft, may be exported or reexported for use on board an aircraft of any registry, except an aircraft registered in, owned or controlled by, or under charter or lease to a country included in Country Group D:1, Cuba, or a national of any of these countries.(ii) This paragraph (b)(2)(ii) authorizes exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) to any country that is identified in Country Group A:2 and supplement no. 3 to part 746 of ECCNs 7A101 through 7A103 when the commodities are for use in or for the "production" of civil manned aircraft.(3)Ship and plane stores. Usual and reasonable kinds and quantities of the following commodities may be exported for use or consumption on board an aircraft or vessel of any registry during the outgoing and immediate return flight or voyage. (i) Deck, engine, and steward department stores, provisions, and supplies for both port and voyage requirements;(ii) Medical and surgical supplies;(iv) Slop chest articles;(v) Saloon stores or supplies.(4)Cuba. Only items designated as EAR99 or controlled on the Commerce Control List (CCL) (supplement no. 1 to part 774 of the EAR) only for anti-terrorism reasons (i.e., anti-terrorism must be the only reason for control that applies to the item as set forth in the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) that controls the item) are eligible for export or reexport to Cuba pursuant to this paragraph (b).(c)Shipments to U.S. or Canadian vessels, planes and airline installations or agents - (1)Exports to vessels or planes of U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK registry. Export may be made of the commodities set forth in paragraph (c)(3) of this section, for use by or on a specific vessel or plane of U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK registry located at any seaport or airport outside the United States, Australia, Canada, or the UK except a port in Cuba or Country Group D:1 (excluding the PRC), (see supplement no. 1 to part 740) provided that such commodities are all of the following:(i) Ordered by the person in command or the owner or agent of the vessel or plane to which they are consigned;(ii) Intended to be used or consumed on board such vessel or plane and necessary for its proper operation;(iii) In usual and reasonable kinds and quantities during times of extreme need; and(iv) Shipped as cargo for which Electronic Export Information (EEI) is filed to the Automated Export System (AES) in accordance with the requirements of the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR) ( 15 CFR part 30 ), except EEI is not required to be filed when any of the commodities, other than fuel, is exported by U.S. airlines to their own aircraft abroad for their own use, see 15 CFR 30.37(o) of the FTR.(2)Exports to U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK airline's installation or agent. Exports of the commodities set forth in paragraph (c)(3) of this section, except fuel, may be made to a U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK airline's installation or agent in any foreign destination except Cuba or Country Group D:1 (excluding the PRC), (see supplement no. 1 to part 740) provided such commodities are all of the following:(i) Ordered by a U.S., Australian, Canadian, or UK airline and consigned to its own installation or agent abroad;(ii) Intended for maintenance, repair, or operation of aircraft registered in either the U.S., Australia, Canada, or UK and necessary for the aircraft's proper operation, except where such aircraft is located in, or owned, operated or controlled by, or leased or chartered to, Cuba or Country Group D:1 (excluding the PRC) (see supplement no. 1 to part 740) or a national of such country;(iii) In usual and reasonable kinds and quantities; and(iv) Shipped as cargo for which Electronic Export Information (EEI) is filed to the Automated Export System (AES) in accordance with the requirements of the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR) ( 15 CFR part 30 ), except EEI is not required to be filed when any of these commodities is exported by U.S. airlines to their own installations and agents abroad for use in their aircraft operations, see 15 CFR 30.37(o) of the FTR.(3)Applicable commodities. This paragraph (c) applies to the following commodities, subject to the provisions in paragraph (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section: (i) Deck, engine, and steward department stores, provisions, and supplies for both port and voyage requirements;(ii) Medical and surgical supplies;(iv) Slop chest articles;(v) Saloon stores or supplies; and(vi) Equipment and spare parts.(d)Vessels on temporary sojourn - (1)Foreign flagged vessels. A foreign flagged vessel in the United States may depart from the United States under its own power for any destination, provided that: (i) No sale or transfer of operational control of the vessel to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part) has occurred while in the United States;(ii) The vessel is not departing for the purpose of sale or transfer of operational control to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part); and(iii) The vessel does not carry from the United States any item for which a license is required and has not been granted by the U.S. Government.(2)U.S. flagged vessels. A U.S. flagged vessel may depart from the United States under its own power for any destination, provided that:(i) The vessel does not depart for the purpose of sale, lease, or transfer of operational control of the vessel, or its equipment, parts, accessories, or components, to a foreign country or any national thereof;(ii) The vessel's U.S. flag will not be changed while abroad;(iii) The vessel will not be used in any foreign military activity while abroad;(iv) The vessel will not carry from the United States any item for which a license is required and has not been granted by the U.S. Government;(v) Spares for the vessel are not located in a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part);(vi) Technology is not transferred to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part), except the minimum necessary in-transit maintenance to perform servicing required to depart and enter a port safely; and(vii) The vessel does not bear the livery, colors, or logos of a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(3)Criteria for temporary sojourn of vessels. The following criteria must be met if a voyage is to be considered a temporary sojourn under this paragraph (d). To be considered a temporary sojourn, the voyage must not be for the purpose of sale or transfer of operational control. A transfer of operational control occurs unless the exporter or reexporter retains each of the following indicia of control: (i)Hiring of crew. Right to hire and fire the crew.(ii)Dispatch of vessel. Right to dispatch the vessel.(iii)Selection of routes. Right to determine the vessel's routes (except for contractual commitments entered into by the exporter for specifically designated routes).(iv)Place of maintenance. Right to perform or obtain the principal maintenance on the vessel, which principal maintenance is conducted outside a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part), under the control of a party who is not a national of any of these countries. (The minimum necessary in-transit maintenance may be performed in any country).(v)Lease or charter. The vessel is not leased to or chartered by a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(4)Reexports. Vessels subject to the EAR may be reexported under this section on temporary sojourn, provided that:(i) The vessel does not depart for the purpose of sale, lease, or transfer of operational control of the vessel, or its equipment, parts, accessories, or components, to a foreign country or any national thereof;(ii) The vessel's flag will not be changed while abroad;(iii) The vessel will not be used in any foreign military activity while abroad;(iv) The vessel will not carry any item for which a license is required and has not been granted by the U.S. Government;(v) Spares for the vessel are not located in a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part);(vi) Technology is not transferred to a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part), except the minimum necessary in-transit maintenance to perform servicing required to depart and enter a port safely; and(vii) The vessel does not bear the livery, colors, or logos of a national of a destination in Country Group E:1 or E:2 (see supplement no. 1 to this part).(5) No vessels may be exported or reexported under this License Exception to a country in Country Group E:1.(6)Cuba, eligible vessels and purposes. For Cuba, only cargo vessels for hire for use in the transportation of items are eligible for this paragraph (d). Note 1 to paragraph (d): A vessel exported or reexported to a country pursuant to this paragraph (d) may not remain in that country for more than 14 consecutive days before it departs for a country to which it may be exported without a license or the United States.
(e)Intransit cargo. Cargo laden on board an aircraft or vessel may transit Cuba provided: (1) The aircraft or vessel is exported or reexported on temporary sojourn to Cuba pursuant to paragraph (a) or (d) of this section or a license from BIS; and(2) The cargo departs with the aircraft or vessel at the end of its temporary sojourn to Cuba, is not removed from the aircraft or vessel for use in Cuba and is not transferred to another aircraft or vessel while in Cuba.(f)Spacecraft for launch. This paragraph (e) authorizes the export by accredited U.S. institutions of higher learning of commodities subject to the EAR fabricated only for fundamental research purposes when all of the following conditions are met: (1) The export is to an accredited institution of higher learning, a governmental research center, or an established government funded private research center located in a country other than Country Group D:5 (see supp. no. 1 to this part) and involves exclusively nationals of such countries;(2) All the information about the commodity, including its design, and all of the resulting information obtained through fundamental research involving the commodity will be published and shared broadly within the scientific community, and is not restricted for proprietary reasons or specific U.S. government access and dissemination controls or other restrictions accepted by the institution or its researchers on publication of scientific and technical information resulting from the project or activity (see § 734.11 of the EAR); and(3) If the commodity is for permanent export, the platform or system into which the commodity will be incorporated must be a scientific, research, or experimental satellite and must be exclusively concerned with fundamental research and may only be launched into space from countries and by nationals of countries not identified in Country Group D:5.61 FR 12678, Mar. 25, 1996. Redesignated and amended at 61 FR 64274, 64283, Dec. 4, 1996. Redesignated at 61 FR 68579, Dec. 30, 1996 81 FR 13974 , 3/16/2016; 81 FR 29486 , 5/12/2016; 84 FR 25988 , 6/5/2019; 84 FR 56120 , 10/21/2019; 88 FR 85492 , 12/8/2023; 89 CFR 28598, 4/19/2024 For FEDERAL REGISTER citations affecting § 740.15, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.