[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 222 (Monday, November 19, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64966-64968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22544]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 91

[Docket No. FAA-2007-29305; Notice No. 07-15]
RIN 2120-AI92


Automatic Dependent Surveillance--Broadcast (ADS-B) Out 
Performance Requirements to Support Air Traffic Control (ATC) Service; 
Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment 
period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period for an NPRM that was 
published on October 5, 2007. In that document, the FAA proposed 
performance requirements for certain avionics equipment on aircraft 
operating in specified classes of airspace within the United States 
National Airspace System. This extension is a result of requests from 
the: Air Transport Association of America, Inc., Air Carrier 
Association of America, Civil Aviation Aerospace Industries 
Association, National Air Carrier Association, and Regional Airline 
Association; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; and Cargo Airline 
Association to extend the comment period to the proposal.

DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on October 5, 2007 (72

[[Page 64967]]

FR 56947), scheduled to close on January 3, 2008, is extended until 
March 3, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by Docket Number FAA-2007-
29305 using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
     Hand Delivery: Bring comments to Docket Operations in Room 
W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    For more information on the rulemaking process, see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
    Privacy: We will post all comments we receive, without change, to 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you 
provide. Using the search function of our docket Web site, anyone can 
find and read the comments received into any of our dockets, including 
the name of the individual sending the comment (or signing the comment 
for an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: To read background documents or comments received, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to Docket Operations in Room 
W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Nordlie, ARM-108, Office of 
Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-7627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Comments Invited: The FAA invites interested persons to participate 
in this rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. We 
also invite comments relating to the economic, environmental, energy, 
or federalism impacts that might result from adopting the proposals in 
this document. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion 
of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and 
include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain 
duplicate comments, please send only one copy of written comments, or 
if you are filing comments electronically, please submit your comments 
only one time.
    We will file in the docket all comments we receive, as well as a 
report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel 
concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this proposal, we 
will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing date for 
comments. We will consider comments filed after the comment period has 
closed if it is possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. 
We may change this proposal in light of the comments we receive.

Availability of Rulemaking Documents

    You can get an electronic copy using the Internet by:
    (1) Searching the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov;
    (2) Visiting the Office of Rulemaking's Web page at http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/index.cfm; or
    (3) Accessing the Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
    You can also get a copy by sending a request to the Federal 
Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, ARM-1, 800 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling (202) 267-9680. Make 
sure to identify the docket number, notice number, or amendment number 
of this rulemaking.

Proprietary or Confidential Business Information

    Do not file in the docket information that you consider to be 
proprietary or confidential business information. Send or deliver this 
information directly to the person identified in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. You must mark the 
information that you consider proprietary or confidential. If you send 
the information on a disk or CD-ROM, mark the outside of the disk or 
CD-ROM and also identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the 
specific information that is proprietary or confidential.
    Under 14 CFR 11.35(b), when we are aware of proprietary information 
filed with a comment, we do not place it in the docket. We hold it in a 
separate file to which the public does not have access, and place a 
note in the docket that we have received it. If we receive a request to 
examine or copy this information, we treat it as any other request 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). We process such a 
request under the DOT procedures found in 49 CFR part 7.

Background

    On October 5, 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
issued Notice No. 07-15, Automatic Dependent Surveillance--Broadcast 
(ADS-B) Out performance requirements to support Air Traffic Control 
(ATC) service (72 FR 56947; October 5, 2007). Comments to that document 
were to be received on or before January 3, 2008.
    By request submitted to the docket on October 19, 2007, the Air 
Transport Association of America, Inc., Air Carrier Association of 
America, Civil Aviation Aerospace Industries Association, National Air 
Carrier Association, and Regional Airline Association requested that 
the FAA extend the comment period for Notice No. 07-15 for 60 days. The 
organizations requesting an extension noted that commenters ``will have 
to develop as much information as possible as to future costs 
associated with implementing a final rule in order to provide 
meaningful input.'' They also noted that the holiday season falls 
within the comment period and that the comment period is scheduled to 
close just after New Year's Day. Because of the importance of the 
rulemaking, in terms of advancing Air Traffic modernization, and the 
potential costs on the aviation industry that would result from a final 
rule, they requested that the public comment period be extended for an 
additional 60 days.
    In addition, on November 1, 2007, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots 
Association submitted a request to extend the comment period for Notice 
No. 07-15 for 60 days. They noted that additional ``time is needed to 
assess questions surrounding making a final rule that is financially 
feasible for general aviation, improves ATC services at general 
aviation airports, results in user cost avoidance, and improves general 
aviation safety.''
    On November 5, 2007, the Cargo Airline Association submitted a 
request to extend the comment period for Notice No. 07-15 for 60 days. 
They noted the extension was needed to provide meaningful input to the 
rulemaking process.
    The FAA concurs with the petitioners' request for an extension of 
the comment period on Notice No. 07-15 for an additional 60 days, until

[[Page 64968]]

March 3, 2008. We must balance the length of the comment period against 
the need to proceed expeditiously with a key component in managing the 
anticipated growth in the use of the National Airspace System. The FAA 
believes an additional 60 days would be adequate for commenters to 
collect cost and operational data necessary to provide meaningful 
comment to Notice No. 07-15. The FAA does not anticipate any further 
extension of the comment period for this rulemaking.

Extension of Comment Period

    In accordance with section 11.47(c) of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations, the FAA has reviewed the requests submitted by the: Air 
Transport Association of America, Inc., Air Carrier Association of 
America, Civil Aviation Aerospace Industries Association, National Air 
Carrier Association, and Regional Airline Association; Aircraft Owners 
and Pilots Association; and Cargo Airline Association for extension of 
the comment period to Notice No. 07-15. These petitioners have shown a 
substantive interest in the proposed rule and good cause for the 
extension. The FAA has determined that extension of the comment period 
is consistent with the public interest, and that good cause exists for 
taking this action.
    Accordingly, the comment period for Notice No. 07-15 is extended 
until March 3, 2008.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2007.
Edie Parish,
Acting Director, System Operations, Airspace and AIM Office.
[FR Doc. E7-22544 Filed 11-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P