[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 203 (Friday, October 21, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61241-61242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21078]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

14 CFR Part 382

[Docket No. OST-2005-22298]

RIN 2105-AC29


Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel--
Medical Oxygen and Portable Respiration Assistive Devices

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

[[Page 61242]]


ACTION: Extension of comment period on proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department is extending through January 30, 2006, the 
period for interested persons to submit comments to its proposed rule 
on medical oxygen and portable respiration assistive devices.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 30, 2006. Comments received 
after this date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number 
[OST-2005-22298] by any of the following methods: (1) Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov (follow the instructions 
for submitting comments); (2) Web site: http://dms.dot.gov (follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket 
site); (3) Fax: 1-202-493-2251; (4) Mail: Docket Management System; 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif 
Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-001; or (5) Hand Delivery: 
To the Docket Management System; Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    You must include the agency name and docket number [OST-2005-22298] 
or the Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this notice at the 
beginning of your comment. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://dms.dot.gov including any personal 
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act section of this 
document. You may view the public docket through the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or in person at the Docket Management System office at the 
above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blane A. Workie, Office of Assistant 
General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, 400 7th 
Street, SW., Room 4116, Washington DC 29590. Phone: 202-366-9342. TTY: 
202-366-0511. Fax: 202-366-7152. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 7, 2005, the Department of 
Transportation (DOT or Department) issued a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed to require airlines to provide in-
flight medical oxygen without charge, to test certain respiratory 
assistive devices and to permit their use if safe. See 70 FR 53108. The 
NPRM would apply to certain U.S. and foreign air carriers operating to 
and from the U.S. The original comment closing date is November 7, 
2005.
    The Air Carrier Association of America (ACAA), the Air Transport 
Association (ATA), the National Air Carrier Association (NACA), and the 
Regional Airline Association (RAA) jointly requested an extension of 
the comment period to consider ``the enormous technical, operational 
and cost issues raised by the multiple actions required by the NPRM.'' 
They requested an extension of more than sixty days to January 30, 
2006, at least partially because an extension of sixty days in this 
rulemaking would place the close of the comment period in the holiday 
season. This request was supported by comments from the International 
Air Transport Association (IATA), which further explained that IATA has 
begun the process of gathering comments from its in-flight, dangerous 
goods, passenger services, operations, medical and regulatory contacts 
but that gathering and collating such feedback is a significant task 
that requires time.
    The Department concurs that an extension of the comment period is 
necessary to allow members of industry sufficient time to analyze the 
impact of the proposed rule and believes that this extension would 
result in more thorough comments to the docket than might otherwise be 
possible without delaying final action in the rulemaking proceeding. We 
do not anticipate the need for any further extensions. Accordingly, the 
Department finds that good cause exists to extend the comment period on 
the proposed rule from November 7, 2005, to January 30, 2006.

    Issued in Washington, DC this 17th day of October, 2005, under 
authority assigned to me by 14 CFR 385.17(c).
Neil Eisner,
Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement, U.S. 
Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 05-21078 Filed 10-20-05; 8:45 am]
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