[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 244 (Thursday, December 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72435-72436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24745]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2007-0108]


National Task Force To Develop Model Contingency Plans To Deal 
With Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground Delays

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to Form an Advisory Committee.

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SUMMARY: OST is establishing a National Task Force to develop model 
contingency plans to deal with lengthy airline on-board ground delays. 
The Task Force will be composed of individuals appointed by the 
Secretary of Transportation who represent a cross-section of the 
diverse agencies, organizations and individuals that represent 
airlines, airports and consumer groups in the U.S. The Task Force will 
also ensure that members of the public are able to present their views 
to it. The purpose of this notice is to invite interested parties, 
organizations, and individuals, to submit applications to be considered 
for representation on the Task Force.

DATES: Comments and/or applications for membership or nominations for 
membership on the Task Force must be received on or before January 4, 
2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Livaughn Chapman, Jr., Office of the 
General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave., SE., W-96-429, Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone: (202) 366-9342; 
Fax: (202) 366-7152; E-mail: [email protected].

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or applications by any of the 
following methods:
     Web site: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W-12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001 (between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays).
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this notice. Note that all filings received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, go 
to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or West Building, Ground 
Floor, Rm. W-12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590-
0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    DOT's Office of Inspector General recommended, in its audit report, 
entitled ``Actions Needed to Minimize Long, On-Board Flight Delays,'' 
issued on September 25, 2007, that the Secretary of Transportation 
establish a national task force of airlines, airports, and the Federal 
Aviation Administration to coordinate and develop contingency plans to 
deal with lengthy delays, such as working with carriers and airports to 
share facilities and make gates available in an

[[Page 72436]]

emergency. The Department is taking action to effectuate this 
recommendation.

A. Notice of Intent To Establish a Task Force and Request for Comment

    In accordance with the requirements of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), an agency of the Federal government cannot 
establish or utilize a group of people in the interest of obtaining 
consensus advice or recommendations unless that group is chartered as a 
Federal advisory committee. The purpose of this notice is to indicate 
that it is OST's intent to create a Task Force to develop model 
contingency plans to deal with lengthy airline on-board ground delays. 
OST has determined that the establishment of this Task Force is 
necessary and in the public interest.

B. Name of Committee

    National Task Force To Develop Model Contingency Plans To Deal With 
Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground Delays.

C. Purpose and Objective

    (1) The Task Force will develop model contingency plans for 
minimizing the impact of lengthy airline on-board ground delays.
    (2) The Task Force will be responsible for reviewing incidents 
involving long, on-board ground delays and their causes; identifying 
trends and patterns of such events; and recommending workable solutions 
for mitigating the on-board consumer impact of extraordinary flight 
disruptions.
    (3) The Task Force will report to the Secretary of Transportation 
the results of its consideration and a description of model contingency 
plans it develops.
    (4) The Task Force will not exercise program management, regulatory 
or program guidance responsibilities. It will make no decision directly 
affecting the programs on which it provides advice. The Task Force will 
provide a forum for the development, consideration, and communication 
from a knowledgeable and independent perspective of a strategy for 
dealing with lengthy on-board ground delays nationwide.

D. Balanced Membership Plans

    The Task Force will be composed of individuals appointed by the 
Secretary of Transportation. Task Force members will represent a cross-
section of the diverse agencies, organizations and individuals that 
represent airlines, airports and consumer groups in the U.S.
    This document gives notice to potential participants of the process 
and affords them the opportunity to request representation on the Task 
Force. The procedure for requesting such representation is set out 
below. In addition, we invite comments and suggestions for potential 
participants.
    OST is aware that there are many more potential organizations and 
participants than there are membership positions on the Task Force. It 
is very important to recognize that interested parties who are not 
selected for membership on the Task Force can make valuable 
contributions to the work of the Task Force in several ways. For 
example, the person or organization could request to be placed on the 
Task Force mailing list and may submit written comments to the Task 
Force.
    Further, any member of the public is welcome to attend Task Force 
meetings, and, as provided in the FACA, speak to the Task Force. Time 
will be set aside during meetings for this purpose as appropriate.

E. Applications for Membership

    Each Application for membership or nomination to the Task Force 
should include:
    (1) A brief resume or letter (no more than one page) demonstrating 
the applicant or nominee's unique qualifications and why they are 
interested in serving on the Task Force (please note, resumes or 
letters will be posted on the public docket and therefore should not 
contain personal information such as date of birth, etc.)
    (2) Evidence that the applicant or nominee is authorized to 
represent parties related to the interest(s) the person proposes to 
represent; and
    (3) A written commitment that the applicant or nominee would 
participate in good faith.
    Since all comments and/or applications for membership or 
nominations for membership on the Task Force will be posted on the 
Public Docket, we encourage you to include only that information you 
are willing to provide for the public docket and submit your 
application electronically using the docket number provided on this 
notice through the Federal Docket Management System found at http://www.regulations.gov.

F. Duration

    The Task Force will terminate one year after the date of the filing 
of the Task Force charter unless prior to that time the charter is 
terminated or extended in accordance with the FACA.

G. Notice of Establishment

    After evaluating applications and nominations received as a result 
of this notice, the Department will publish in the Federal Register a 
notice announcing the establishment and composition of the Task Force.

    Issued on: December 17, 2007.
Samuel Podberesky,
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement & Proceedings, U.S. 
Department of Transportation.
 [FR Doc. E7-24745 Filed 12-19-07; 8:45 am]
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