[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 17870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8947]



[[Page 17869]]

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Part III





Department of Transportation





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Federal Aviation Administration



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14 CFR Part 91



Prohibition Against Certain Flights Within the Territory and Airspace 
of Iraq; Final Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 2003 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 17870]]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 91

[Docket No. FAA-2003-14766; SFAR 77]


Prohibition Against Certain Flights Within the Territory and 
Airspace of Iraq

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: This amendment corrects language in Special Federal Aviation 
Regulation (SFAR) No. 77, prohibition against certain flights within 
the territory and airspace of Iraq, to correspond to standard 
procedures used for permitted operations under the Federal Aviation 
Administration's authority for all similar SFAR's. This final rule 
informs the public of this minor change.

DATES: This action is effective April 8, 2003, and shall remain in 
effect until further notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Catey, Air Transportation 
Division, Flight Standards Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 
800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591. Telephone: (202) 
267-3732 or 267-8166.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Availability of This Action

    You can get an electronic copy of this final rule through the 
Internet by:
    (1) Searching the Department of Transportation's electronic Docket 
Management System (DMS) web page (http://www.dms.dot.gov/search);
    (2) Visiting the Office of Rulemaking's web page at http://www.faa.gov/avr/armhome.htm; or
    (3) Accessing the Federal Register's web page at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.
    You may also obtain a paper copy of this document by submitting a 
request to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, 
ARM-1, 800 Independence Ave, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling 
(202) 267-9680. You must identify the docket number (28691) of this 
action.

Background

    SFAR 77 was issued October 16, 1996, as a safety precaution for 
flights over the territory of Iraq. The FAA now anticipates that when 
hostilities are ended, humanitarian efforts may be needed to assist the 
people of Iraq. In order to facilitate these humanitarian efforts, the 
FAA standardizes the language traditionally used for permitted 
operations over restricted flight areas.
    The FAA amends SFAR 77 to eliminate a technical inaccuracy in the 
current SFAR, namely that another agency could allow persons covered by 
paragraph 1 to operate into Iraq without prior FAA approval. Because 
the FAA is responsible for the safety of U.S. air carriers, U.S. 
commercial operators, U.S. registered aircraft, and airmen relying on 
U.S. issued airman certificates, the FAA must be the final 
decisionmaker as to whether it is appropriate to waive the 
applicability of this SFAR in certain situations.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 91

    Air traffic control, Aircraft, Airmen, Airports, Aviation safety, 
Freight, Afghanistan.

The Amendment

0
For the reasons set forth above, the Federal Aviation Administration 
amends 14 CFR Part 91 as follows:

PART 91--GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES

0
1. The authority citation for Part 91 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 1155, 40103, 40113, 40120, 44101, 
44701, 44709, 44711, 44712, 44715, 44716, 44717, 44722, 46306, 
46315, 46316, 46504, 46506-46507, 47122, 47508, 47528-47531; 
Articles 12 and 29 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation 
(61 Stat. 1180).

0
2. Revise Section 3 of Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 
77 to read as follows:

SPECIAL FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATION NO. 77--PROHIBITION AGAINST CERTAIN 
FLIGHTS WITHIN THE TERRITORY AND AIRSPACE OF IRAQ

* * * * *
    3. Permitted operations. This SFAR does not prohibit persons 
described in paragraph 1 from conducting flight operations within 
the territory and airspace of Iraq when such operations are 
authorized either by another agency of the United States Government 
with the approval of the FAA or by an exemption issued by the 
Administrator.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2003.
Marion C. Blakey,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-8947 Filed 4-8-03; 4:07 pm]
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