[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2281-2282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1157]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report 
of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small Aircraft Operators

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 Bureau of Transportation Statistics invites the general 
public, industry and other governmental parties to comment on the 
continuing need for and usefulness of BTS collecting financial, traffic 
and operating statistics from small

[[Page 2282]]

certificated and commuter air carriers. Small certificated air carriers 
(operate aircraft with 60 seats or less or with 18,000 pounds of 
payload capacity or less) currently must file the five quarterly 
schedules listed below:
    A-1  Report of Flight and Traffic Statistics in Scheduled Passenger 
Operations, 
    E-1  Report of Nonscheduled Passenger Enplanements by Small 
Certificated Air Carriers, 
    F-1  Report of Financial Data, 
    F-2  Report of Aircraft Operating Expenses and Related Statistics, 
and 
    T-1  Report of Revenue Traffic by On-Line Origin and Destination. 
    Commuter air carriers must file the three quarterly schedules 
listed below:
    A-1  Report of Flight and Traffic Statistics in Scheduled Passenger 
Operations, 
    F-1  Report of Financial Data, 
    T-1  Report of Revenue Traffic by On-Line Origin and Destination. 
    On August 28, 2001, BTS published in the Federal Register (66 FR 
45201) a notice of proposed rulemaking which recommends that small 
certificated and commuter air carriers report their traffic under the 
T-100 reporting system. If this proposal becomes a final rule, Form 
298-C, Schedules A-1, E-1 and T-1 would be eliminated.
    Commenters should address whether BTS accurately estimated the 
reporting burden and if there are other ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information collected.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by March 18, 2002.

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 e-
mail [email protected].
    Comments: Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-0009. 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 # 2138-0009. 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.: 2138-0009.
    Title: Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small 
Aircraft Operators.
    Form No.: BTS Form 298-C.
    Type Of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection for 
the financial data. The traffic data will be included under OMB 
Approval number 2138-0040.
    Respondents: Small certificated and commuter air carriers.
    Number of Respondents: 90.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours per commuter carrier; 12 hours 
per small certificated carrier.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,880 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Program uses for Form 298-C financial data are as 
follows:

Mail Rates

    The Department of Transportation sets and updates the Intra-Alaska 
Bush mail rates based on carrier aircraft operating expense, traffic, 
and operational data. Form 298-C cost data, especially fuel costs, 
terminal expenses, and line haul expenses are used in arriving at rate 
levels. DOT revises the established rates based on the percentage of 
unit cost changes in the carriers' operations. These updating 
procedures have resulted in the carriers receiving rates of 
compensation that more closely parallel their costs of providing mail 
service and contribute to the carriers' economic well-being.

Essential Air Service

    DOT often has to select a carrier to provide a community's 
essential air service. The selection criteria include historic presence 
in the community, reliability of service, financial stability and cost 
structure of the air carrier.

Carrier Fitness

    Fitness determinations are made for both new entrants and 
established U.S. domestic carriers proposing a substantial change in 
operations. A portion of these applications consists of an operating 
plan for the first year (14 CFR part 204) and an associated projection 
of revenues and expenses. The carrier's operating costs, included in 
these projections, are compared against the cost data in Form 298-C for 
a carrier or carriers with the same aircraft type and similar operating 
characteristics. Such a review validates the reasonableness of the 
carrier's operating plan.
    The quarterly financial submissions by commuter and small 
certificated air carriers are used in determining each carrier's 
continuing fitness to operate. Section 41738 of Title 49 of the United 
States Code requires DOT to find all commuter and small certificated 
air carriers fit, willing, and able to conduct passenger service as a 
prerequisite to providing such service to an eligible essential air 
service point. In making a fitness determination, DOT reviews three 
areas of a carrier's operation: (1) The qualifications of its 
management team, (2) its disposition to comply with laws and 
regulations, and (3) its financial posture. DOT must determine whether 
or not a carrier has sufficient financial resources to conduct its 
operations without imposing undue risk on the traveling public. 
Moreover, once a carrier begins conducting flight operations, DOT is 
required to monitor its continuing fitness.
    Senior DOT officials must be kept fully informed and advised of all 
current and developing economic issues affecting the airline industry. 
In preparing financial condition reports or status reports on a 
particular airline, financial and traffic data are analyzed. Briefing 
papers prepared for senior DOT officials may use the same information.

Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act

    DOT is using financial data reported by small certificated and 
commuter air carriers to establish benchmarks to assess the 
reasonableness of air carrier claims under the Stabilization Act.

Donald W. Bright,
Assistant Director, Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 02-1157 Filed 1-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P