[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 78 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 19854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10482]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Part 
249 Preservation of Air Carrier Records

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. 
L. 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the 
general public, industry and other Federal Agencies to comment on the 
continuing need and usefulness of DOT requiring certificated air 
carriers to preserve accounting records, consumer complaint letters, 
reservation reports and records, system reports of aircraft movements, 
etc.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by June 23, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline 
Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590-0001.

COMMENTS: Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-0006 and submit a 
duplicate copy to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the 
Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with 
those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following 
statement is made: Comments on OMB # 2138-0006. The postcard will be 
date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline 
Information, K-25, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    OMB Approval No. 2138-0006.
    Title: Preservation of Air Carrier Records Part 249.
    Form No.: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved recordkeeping 
requirement.
    Respondents: Certificated air carriers and public charter 
operators.
    Number of Respondents: 130 certificated air carriers; 350 public 
charter operators.
    Total Annual Burden: 688 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Part 249 requires the retention of such records as 
general and subsidiary ledgers, journals and journal vouchers, voucher 
distribution registers, accounts receivable and payable journals and 
ledgers, subsidy records documenting underlying financial and 
statistical reports to the Department, funds reports, consumer records, 
sales reports, auditors' and flight coupons, air waybills, etc. 
Depending on the nature of the document, it may be retained for a 
period of 30 days to 3 years. Public charter operators and overseas 
military personnel charter operators must retain documents which 
evidence or reflect deposits made by each charter participant and 
commissions received by, paid to, or deducted by travel agents, and all 
statements, invoices, bills and receipts from suppliers or furnishers 
of goods and services in connection with the tour or charter. These 
records are retained for 6 months after completion of the charter 
program.
    Not only is it imperative that carriers and charter operators 
retain source documentation, but it is critical that we ensure that DOT 
has access to these records. Given DOT's established information needs 
for such reports, the underlying support documentation must be retained 
for a reasonable period of time. Absent the retention requirements, the 
documentary support for such reports may or may not exist for audit/
validation purposes and the relevance and usefulness of carrier 
submissions would be impaired, since the data could not be verified to 
the source on a test basis.
Timothy E. Carmody,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 97-10482 Filed 4-22-97; 8:45 am]
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