[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2556]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. 27596]

 

Proposed Restructuring of Air Traffic Control Services; Meeting

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In response to the recommendations of the National Performance 
Review and the 1993 National Airline Commission, the DOT is developing 
a proposal that could lead to restructuring FAA's air traffic control 
(ATC) services as a Government corporation. Before drafting the related 
enabling legislation for Congressional consideration, the FAA invites 
comments on various aspects of the corporation proposal. This notice 
announces a meeting at which the public is invited to discuss a 
proposed restructuring of ATC services.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on February 22, 1994, from 9 
a.m. to 4 p.m. Written comments are also invited and must be received 
on or before February 22, 1994.

ADDRESS: The public meeting will be held in the FAA Auditorium (room 
311) at the Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591. Persons unable to attend the meeting may 
mail their comments in triplicate, to: Federal Aviation Administration, 
Office of Chief Counsel, Rules Docket (AGC-10), Docket No. 27596, 800 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning the subject matter or logistics of the meeting, or 
requests to present a statement at the meeting, should be directed to: 
Margo Inskeep, Corporation Assessment Ad Hoc Task Force (AOP-1-room 
512), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone 
(202) 267-9227; telefax (202) 267-9595.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Participation at the Meeting

    Attendance is open to the public but limited to the space 
available. Since access to the FAA building is controlled, all persons 
who plan to attend the meeting must notify Margo Inskeep (202) 267-9227 
prior to February 22.

    Requests from persons who wish to present oral statements at the 
public meeting should be received by the FAA no later than February 15, 
1994. Such requests should be submitted to Margo Inskeep (as listed 
above in section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), and should 
include a written summary of oral remarks to be presented along with an 
estimate of time needed for the presentation. Requests received after 
the date specified above will be scheduled if there is time available 
during the meeting; however, the names of those individuals may not 
appear on the written agenda. The FAA will prepare an agenda of 
speakers that will be available at the meeting. In order to accommodate 
as many speakers as possible, the amount of time allocated to each 
speaker may be less than the amount of time requested.

Background

    In response to the recommendations of both the National Performance 
Review and the National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive 
Airline Industry, an executive oversight committee, sponsored by the 
Secretary of Transportation, is developing a detailed plan to 
restructure FAA's air traffic control services as a Government 
corporation. The committee is developing a corporate structure that 
would streamline procurement, simplify the personnel process, provide 
funding stability, and ensure continuity of leadership among the 
objectives. The committee is comprised of senior officials from the 
Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Office of 
Management and Budget, Council of Economic Advisers, National Economic 
Council, National Performance Review, and various other agencies. 
Alternative proposals are an FAA corporation and an air traffic control 
corporation. The oversight committee is soliciting suggestions and 
concerns regarding these proposals or any suggested alternatives.

Specific Issues for Public Comment

    There are specific issues discussed in the following paragraphs on 
which the DOT's executive oversight committee seeks comment at the 
public meeting. Identification of these key issues is intended to help 
focus public comment on those areas which will be most useful in 
developing legislative proposals. However, comments at the meeting need 
not be limited to these issues.
    Safety Issues, including: How a restructured air traffic control 
system would be organized, operated and maintained to best guarantee 
safety for the traveling public; the relationship between the proposed 
corporation and FAA with respect to safety; and any other specific 
safety issues that must be managed in the formulation of a corporate 
structure.
    Budget and Financial Issues, including: The source of revenues for 
the ATC corporation; the pricing structure; the Government's role, if 
any, in ensuring sufficient revenues to cover the costs of the system; 
questions of financing from the Aviation Trust Fund; liability for ATC-
related-accidents; and DOD funding issues.
    Procurement Issues, including: The procurement authorities the 
corporation should have and whether elements of the Government's 
current procurement process (e.g., full and open competition, Brooks 
Act, etc.) should be retained.
    Personnel Issues, including: The functions and placement of FAA 
employees, and which existing personnel rules and principles, if any, 
should apply to the corporation.
    Oversight and Governance Issues, including: How an ATC corporation 
should be governed; how it should be accountable to the public and to 
Congress; who should oversee the ATC system; and what rulemaking and 
enforcement authorities should rest with the corporation and what 
should remain with the FAA.

Meeting Procedures

    The following procedures are established to facilitate the meeting:
    (1) There will be no admission fee or other charge to attend or to 
participate in the meeting. The meeting will be open to all persons who 
have requested in advance to present statements and on a space-
available basis to all those non-presentors who notified FAA of their 
planned attendance prior to the day of the meeting. The meeting may 
adjourn early if scheduled speakers complete their statements in less 
time than currently is scheduled for the meeting.
    (2) An individual, whether speaking in a personal or a 
representative capacity on behalf of an organization, may be limited to 
a 10-minute statement, if required by time constraints. The speaker 
will be notified if additional time is available.
    (3) Every effort will be made to accommodate all speakers. If the 
available time does not permit this, speakers generally will be 
scheduled based on when their request was received in the FAA.
    (4) Sign interpretation will be available at the meeting.
    (5) For record purposes, it is requested that one copy of 
presentation and hand-out materials be provided to the presiding 
official by the presentor. In addition, materials may be distributed to 
the audience; however these copies must be provided by the presentor.
    (6) The DOT executive oversight committee will review and consider 
the material presented at the meeting.
    (7) Statements made by the DOT official presiding over the meeting 
are intended to facilitate discussion or to clarify issues. Any 
statement made during the meeting by the presiding official is not 
intended to be, and should not be construed as, a position of the DOT 
or FAA.
    (8) The meeting is designed to elicit public views and more 
complete information on the issues discussed in this notice. Therefore, 
the meeting will be conducted in an informal and nonadversarial manner. 
No individual will be subject to cross-examination by any other 
participant.
    (9) A recorder will be present to document the meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 1, 1994.
Edward M. Kelly,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Airway Facilities, Chairperson, 
Corporation Assessment Ad Hoc Task Force.
[FR Doc. 94-2556 Filed 2-3-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M