[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 242 (Friday, December 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75599-75601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27588]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report 
of Traffic and Capacity Statistics-The T-100 System

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 DOT requiring U.S. and foreign 
air carriers to file traffic and capacity data pursuant to 14 CFR 
241.19 and part 217, respectively. These reports are used to measure 
air transportation activity to, from, and within the United States.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by February 15, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline 
Information, K-14, 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  2138-0040. 
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-
0040. The postcard will be date/time stamped and returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus Office of Airline 
Information, K-14, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval No.: 2138-0040.
    Title: Report of Traffic and Capacity Statistics--The T-100 System.
    Form No.: Schedules T-100 and T-100(f).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Certificated, commuter and Foreign air carriers that 
operate to, from or within the United States.
    Number of Respondents: 330.
    Total Burden per Response: 6 hours.
    Total Annual Burden: 24,180 hours.
    Needs and Uses:

Airport Improvement

    The Federal Aviation Administration uses enplanement data for U.S. 
airports to distribute the annual Airport Improvement Program (AIP) 
entitlement funds to eligible primary airports, i.e., airports which 
account for more than 0.01 percent of the total passengers enplaned at 
U.S. airports. Enplanement data contained in Schedule T-100/T-100(f) 
are the sole data base used by the FAA in determining airport funding. 
U.S. airports receiving significant service from foreign air carriers 
operating small aircraft could be receiving less than their fair share 
of AIP entitlement funds. Collecting Schedule T-100(f) data for small 
aircraft operations will enable the FAA to more fairly distribute these 
funds.

Air Carrier Safety

    The FAA uses traffic, operational and capacity data as important 
safety indicators and to prepare the air carrier traffic and operation 
forecasts that are used in developing its budget and staffing plans, 
facility and equipment funding levels, and environmental impact and 
policy studies. The FAA monitor changes in the number of air carrier 
operations as a way to allocate inspection resources and in making 
decisions as to increased safety surveillance. Similarly, airport 
activity statistics are used by the FAA to develop airport profiles and 
establish priorities for airport inspections.

[[Page 75600]]

Acquisitions and Mergers

    While the Justice Department has the primary responsibility over 
air carrier acquisitions and mergers, the Department reviews the 
transfer of international routes involved to determine if they would 
substantially reduce competition, or determine if the transaction would 
be inconsistent with the public interest. In making these 
determinations, the proposed transaction's effect on competition in the 
markets served by the affected air carriers is analyzed. This analysis 
includes, among other thinks, a consideration of the volume of traffic 
and available capacity, the flight segments and origins-destinations 
involved, and the existence of entry barriers, such as limited airport 
slots or gate capacity. Also included is a review of the volume of 
traffic handled by each air carrier at specific airports and in 
specific markets which would be affected by the proposed acquisition or 
merger. The Justice Department uses T-100 data in carrying out its 
responsibilities relating to airline competition and consolidation.

Traffic Forecasting

    The FAA uses traffic, operational and capacity data as important 
safety indicators and to prepare the air carrier traffic and operation 
forecasts. These forecast as used by the FAA, airport managers, the 
airlines and others in the air travel industry as planning and 
budgeting tools.

Airport Capacity Analysis

    The mix of aircraft type are used in determining the practical 
annual capacity (PANCAP) at airports as prescribed in the FAA Advisory 
Circular Airport Capacity Criteria Used in Preparing the National 
Airport Plan. The PANCAP is a safety-related measure of the annual 
airport capacity or level of operations. It is a predictive measure 
which indicates potential capacity problems, delays, and possible 
airport expansions or runway construction needs. If the level of 
operations at an airport exceeds PANCAP significantly, the frequency 
and length of delays will increase, with a potential concurrent risk of 
accidents. Under this program, the FAA develops ways of increasing 
airport capacity at congested airports.

Airline Industry Status Evaluations

    The Department apprises Congress, the Administration and others of 
the effect that major changes or innovations are having on the air 
transportation industry. For this purpose, summary traffic and capacity 
data as well as the detailed segment and market data are essential. 
These data must be timely and inclusive to be relevant for analyzing 
emerging issues and must be based upon uniform and reliable data 
submissions that are consistent with the Department's regulatory 
requirements.

International Negotiations and Routes

    Many air services between the United States and foreign countries 
are governed by bilateral agreements. Evaluations of existing bilateral 
agreements and proposed changes to such agreements are based on a 
determination of the traffic and revenues between the United States and 
foreign countries for scheduled passenger and cargo flights as well as 
charter services. In order to determine conditions of reciprocity and 
overall balance of trade, DOT conducts similar analyses for countries 
with which the United States does not have bilateral aviation 
agreements. Information used in these analyses includes traffic volume 
by countries and by city-pairs for passenger and cargo services and the 
corresponding traffic yields. Load factors, aircraft seating 
configurations, cargo capacities and aircraft unit cost are also used 
in the analyses. In limited entry markets, the competing air carriers 
are required to submit an operating plan. To analyze these plans, the 
Department uses current and historical traffic and capacity data to 
determine the reliability of the applicants' forecasts and to evaluate 
applicants' competing fare and service proposals.

Mail Rates

    The Department is responsible for establishing international and 
intra-Alaska mail rates. International mail rates are set based on 
scheduled operations in four geographic areas: Trans-border, Latin 
America, operations over the Atlantic Ocean and operations over the 
Pacific Ocean. Separate rates are set for mainline and bush Alaskan 
operations. The rates are updated every six months to reflect changes 
in unit costs in each rate-making entity. Traffic and capacity data are 
used in conjunction with cost data to develop the required unit cost 
data.

Essential Air Service

    The Department reassesses service levels at small domestic 
communities to assure that capacity level are adequate to accommodate 
current demand.

System Planning at Airports

    The FAA is charged with administering a series of grants that are 
designed to accomplish the necessary airport planning for future 
development and growth. These grants are made to State metropolitan and 
regional aviation authorities to fund needed airport systems planning 
work. Individual airport activity statistics, nonstop market data, and 
service segment data are used to prepare airport activity level 
forecasts.

Review of IATA Agreements

    The Department reviews all of the International Air Transport 
Association (IATA) agreements that relate to fares, rates, and rules 
for international air transportation to ensure that the agreements meet 
the public interest criteria. Current and historic summary traffic and 
capacity data, such as revenue ton-miles and available ton-miles, by 
aircraft type, type of service, and length of haul are needed to 
conduct these analyses: to (1) Develop the volume elements for 
passenger/cargo cost allocations, (2) evaluate fluctuations in volume 
of scheduled and charter services, (3) assess the competitive impact of 
different operations such as charter versus scheduled, (4) calculate 
load factors by aircraft type, and (5) monitor traffic in specific 
markets.

Foreign Air Carriers Applications

    Foreign air carriers are required to submit applications for 
authority to operate to the United States. In reviewing these 
applications the Department must find that the requested authority is 
encompassed in a bilateral agreement, other intergovernmental 
understanding, or that granting the application is in the public 
interest. In the latter cases, T-100 data are used in assessing the 
level of benefits that carriers of the applicant's homeland presently 
are receiving from their U.S. operations. These benefits are compared 
and balanced against the benefits U.S. carriers receive from their 
operations to the applicant's homeland.

Air Carrier Fitness

    The Department determines whether U.S. air carriers are and 
continue to be fit, willing and able to conduct air service operations 
without undue risk to passengers and shippers. The Department monitors 
a carrier's load factor, operational, and enplanement data to compare 
with other carriers with similar operating characteristics. Carriers 
that expand operations are a high rate are monitored more closely for 
safety reasons.

International Civil Aviation Organization

    Pursuant to an international agreement, the United States is 
obligated to report certain air carrier

[[Page 75601]]

data to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The 
traffic data supplied to ICAO are extracted from the U.S. air carriers' 
Schedule T-100 submissions.
    The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency 
Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note), requires a statistical agency to 
clearly identify information it collects for non-statistical purposes. 
BTS hereby notifies the respondents and the public that BTS uses the 
information it collects under this OMB approval for non-statistical 
purposes including, but not limited to, publication of both 
Respondent's identity and its data, submission of the information to 
agencies outside BTS for review, analysis and possible use in 
regulatory and other administrative matters.

Donald W. Bright,
Assistant Director, Airline Information.
[FR Doc. 04-27588 Filed 12-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P