[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 206 (Thursday, October 25, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 60710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5269]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Airport Level Designation for John F. Kennedy 
International Airport for the Summer 2008 Scheduling Season

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of schedule coordination.

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SUMMARY: Under this notice, the FAA announces that New York's John F. 
Kennedy International Airport (JFK) has been designated a Level 3 
Coordinated Airport for the summer 2008 scheduling season in accordance 
with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Worldwide 
Scheduling Guidelines. This notice supercedes the September 24, 2007, 
notice that designated JFK a Level 2 Schedules Facilitated Airport. 72 
FR 54317. Based on a recently completed capacity analysis, a review of 
last summer's demand, the projections for summer 2008, and the agency's 
decision to seek voluntary schedule reductions from domestic air 
carriers, the FAA has determined that a Level 3 airport declaration is 
warranted. The primary coordination constraint is runway/air traffic 
control capacity.
    JFK is experiencing increased congestion and delay. Comparing the 
period of October 2006 through July 2007 to the same period in the 
previous year, the average daily operations at JFK increased 23 
percent; the average daily arrivals with delays greater than one hour 
increased 114 percent; and on-time gate arrivals within 15 minutes of 
scheduled time decreased from 69.7 percent to 61.2 percent. The average 
taxi-out delay increased 19 percent from 30 to almost 36 minutes. On-
time departures within 15 minutes of scheduled time declined from 74.7 
percent to 65.2 percent. Much of this delay is attributed to volume and 
is not likely to be entirely mitigated by short-term air traffic 
control procedural enhancements, airport or airspace efficiency gains, 
or airport infrastructure changes. For example, from February 2007 
through July 2007, JFK's average airport capacity was 81 operations per 
hour while demand during the busiest hour, 4 p.m., was over 110 
scheduled arrivals and departures during summer 2007. Adjacent hours 
had fewer scheduled flights but still above the average hourly capacity 
rate.
    Under a preliminary review of the schedule submissions for summer 
2008, the FAA notes that there are proposed schedule increases by 
domestic carriers and foreign flag carriers. These proposed schedules 
will result in a significant increase of operations at JFK. While JFK 
has available capacity for additional flights during some periods of 
the day, certain hours are currently beyond capacity and would get only 
worse if the schedules were implemented as proposed. Thus, based on the 
level of congestion experienced this past summer season, the planned 
increases for next summer, and the decision to seek voluntary 
reductions of existing schedules from domestic operators through a 
scheduling reduction meeting,\1\ an immediate Level 3 designation is 
warranted.
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    \1\ In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 41722, the FAA Acting 
Administrator and the Secretary of Transportation have determined 
that a scheduling reduction meeting is needed to address peak hour 
schedules that exceed capacity. The meeting will begin on October 
23, 2007. Notice of the meeting was published in the Federal 
Register on October 22, 2007.
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    The FAA has established a target of 80 total operations per hour at 
JFK from 6 a.m. through 9:59 p.m., local time, except for the hours 
between 3 p.m. and 7:59 p.m., when the target will be 81 total 
operations per hour. A copy of the notice including additional details 
of the FAA analyses and the airport's capacity is available on the FAA 
Web site at http://www.faa.gov and in Docket No. FAA-2007-29320.
    Under this Level 3 designation, the FAA will accept the schedule 
information previously submitted to the FAA. The FAA will grant 
historic status for the operations of foreign flag air carriers based 
on their summer 2007 flights if requested for summer 2008. For domestic 
air carriers, the base level of operations, both international and 
domestic, will be determined as part of the scheduling reduction 
meeting process. The FAA will continue to seek voluntary solutions to 
accommodate flight requests but overall demand must be within the 
airport's practical capacity if there is to be a successful reduction 
of delays. Carriers with new flights planned for peak hours should 
consider alternative schedules, especially for those planned in the 
late afternoon and evening hours.

ADDRESSES: Any change to schedule information for summer 2008 may be 
submitted by mail to Slot Administration Office, AGC-240, Office of the 
Chief Counsel, 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591; 
facsimile: 202-267-7277; ARINC: DCAYAXD; or by e-mail to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Komal K. Jain, Regulations Division, 
Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone number: 202-
267-3073.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 19, 2007.
Rebecca B. MacPherson,
Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations.
[FR Doc. 07-5269 Filed 10-22-07; 9:30 am]
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