[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46063-46064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22041]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; 
Reporting the Causes of Airline Cancellations and Delays

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public 
Law 104-13, the BTS invites the general public, industry and other 
governmental parties to comment on air carriers voluntarily reporting 
on the causes of cancellations and delays of domestic scheduled 
passenger flights. The voluntary data submission would be used to 
identify specific problem areas within the national aviation system. By 
classifying causes of delays into four categories and causes of 
cancellations into three categories, the Department of Transportation 
(DOT) would be able to readily identify problem areas within the air 
transport system. With this knowledge, the DOT should be able to 
address the airline delays and cancellations within its control.
    The DOT is in the process of submitting an emergency request to OMB 
to allow BTS to collect the voluntary causal data. BTS estimates that 
participating air carriers will be ready to begin voluntary reporting 
in early November, thus BTS is seeking

[[Page 46064]]

OMB emergency approval rather than the normal approval process 
established in 5 CFR Part 1320.
    The participating air carriers regard their causal data as 
confidential, proprietary business information; and have agreed to 
voluntarily submit the data on the condition that the Federal 
government use the data for internal purposes and not published or 
released the data to the general public. In addition, the air carriers 
expressed concerns that, at least initially, there would be technical 
difficulties with the new voluntary reporting system which could affect 
the accuracy of the resulting information. While BTS believes that 
reports on causal data will eventually be useful to airline consumers, 
this information must be is accurate and reliable. Thus, BTS has agreed 
to treat the air carriers' voluntary casual data as confidential 
business information. In order to gather public comment on a delay and 
cancellation reporting system, BTS is drafting a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) that will propose the framework for a reporting 
system. Once the NPRM becomes a final rule, BTS intends release and 
publish causal data.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by October 1, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline 
Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, FAX NO. 366-3383 or 
EMAIL [email protected].
    Comments: Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-NEW. Persons 
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-NEW. The 
postcard will be date/time stamped and returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus Office of Airline 
Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval No. 2138-NEW

    Title: Reporting the Causes of Airline Cancellations and Delays.
    Form No.: BTS Form 234.
    Type Of Review: New collection.
    Respondents: Large certificated air carriers that account for at 
least 1 percent of the domestic scheduled passenger revenues.
    Number of Respondents: 10.
    Programming Burden Per Respondent: 15 hours.
    Total Burden: 150 hours.
    Needs and Uses:

Identifying and Reducing Traffic Delays

    The DOT would use the causal data collected and processed by BTS to 
pinpoint and analyze air traffic delays and cancellations that occur 
under DOT's control. Currently, BTS can identify which flights are 
delayed or cancelled but, not the cause of the delay or cancellation. 
By eliminating the delays and cancellations that are caused by extreme 
weather, the air carrier or by the late arrival of an aircraft of a 
previous flight, the DOT would be able to focus its attention to 
solving problem areas within its control.

Reporting Burden for Voluntary Reporting

    One of the reporting carriers, that participated in BTS' pilot 
program on causal data, estimated that it took from 10 to 15 hours to 
reprogram its reporting system. Once this reprogramming effort was 
completed, the carrier stated that there was little, if any, additional 
reporting burden required to submit the monthly on-time reports.

Ashish Sen,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 01-22041 Filed 8-30-01; 8:45 am]
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