[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 5975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2799]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2002-12394]


Aviation Security: Security Program for Certain Private Charter 
Operations

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice extends the date on which aircraft operators 
engaged in non-governmental private charter passenger operations on 
large aircraft must be in compliance with the final private charter 
security program, from February 1 to April 1, 2003.

DATES: Security program compliance date: April 1, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lon Siro or Gail Richards by 
telephone: (571) 227-2217 or (571) 227-2216 respectively; by e-mail 
[email protected] or [email protected]. You may also mail 
any comments or questions concerning this action to Lon Siro or Gail 
Richards, Aviation Operations, Room 11080S, East Tower, Transportation 
Security Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 19, 2002, TSA published a final rule 
in the Federal Register (67 FR 41635) that, in part, requires new 
security measures for non-governmental private charter passenger 
operations in certain large aircraft. Under the rule, these operators 
must adopt and carry out a security program approved by TSA to ensure 
that passengers and their accessible property are screened prior to 
boarding. The effective date of the rule was August 19, 2002, and this 
document does not change that effective date.
    On August 28, 2002, TSA published a notice (67 FR 55309) that 
established a schedule for affected operators to comment on the 
proposed security program and a date on which affected operators would 
have to be in compliance with the final approved security program. The 
compliance date for the final security program was set for February 1, 
2003.
    In addition, on December 31, 2002 (67 FR 79881), TSA published an 
amendment to the final rule in response to comments received, which 
altered the aircraft subject to the rule. The private charter security 
standards now apply to non-governmental private charter operations in 
aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight greater than 45,500 
kg or a seating configuration of 61 or more.
    Security programs constitute sensitive security information (SSI), 
which can be disclosed only to persons with a need to know, in 
accordance with 49 CFR part 1520. Therefore, the proposed private 
charter security program was distributed for comment only to the 
operators subject to the rule. TSA received comments on the proposed 
security program and has amended the program, where appropriate, to 
accommodate the comments received. TSA is in the process of providing 
the final security program to affected entities, and has completed a 
training program for the operators to use to ensure that they operate 
in accordance with the security program. However, the affected 
operators have not had sufficient time to complete the training and 
establish a compliant security program. Therefore, TSA is extending the 
date for compliance to April 1, 2003.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2003.
Stephen J. McHale,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-2799 Filed 1-31-03; 3:51 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P