[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 200 (Monday, October 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64163-64164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26774]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for San Francisco 
International Airport for the Summer 2012 Scheduling Season

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

ACTION: Notice of submission deadline.

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SUMMARY: Under this notice, the FAA announces the designation of San 
Francisco International Airport (SFO) as a Level 2 airport under the 
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Worldwide Slot 
Guidelines (WSG) effective for the Summer 2012 scheduling season. The 
FAA has determined this designation is necessary based primarily on 
runway capacity, existing congestion and delays, and expected increased 
congestion due to a multi-year airport construction project. The FAA 
announces a deadline of October 20, 2011, for carriers to submit to the 
FAA schedule information for all planned operations at SFO between the 
hours of 0600 and 2259, Pacific time, (1300 and 0559 UTC). This 
deadline is a week later than the IATA deadline due to late notice of 
the Level 2 designation. The FAA will grant an additional short 
extension if a carrier requires additional time to complete its initial 
submission, provided that extension would not impede preparations for 
the IATA Schedules Conference in November 2011.

DATES: Schedules must be submitted no later than October 20, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Schedules may be submitted by mail to the Slot 
Administration Office, AGC-200, Office of the Chief Counsel, 800 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591; facsimile: 202-267-7277; 
or by e-mail to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Hawks, Office of the Chief 
Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone number: 202-267-7143; fax number: 202-
267-7971; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: IATA guidelines define a Level 2 airport as 
one where there is the potential for congestion during some periods of 
the day, week, or season, which can be resolved by voluntary 
cooperation between airlines. The FAA has determined that SFO should be 
designated as Level 2 based primarily on runway capacity, existing 
congestion

[[Page 64164]]

and delays, and the potential that congestion may increase during 
construction of Runway Safety Areas (RSA) from 2012 to 2015.
    The FAA has reviewed runway capacity at SFO over the last two 
years. The airport acceptance rate for arrivals ranges between 
approximately 30 and 48 per hour depending on weather conditions. The 
lower value reflects operations in instrument meteorological 
conditions, and the higher value reflects visual meteorological 
conditions. A number of other variables impact an airport's arrival and 
departure rates, including runway configuration, fleet mix, surface 
movements, and individual aircraft performance.
    The FAA, the airport authority, and other stakeholders (including 
representatives of carriers operating at SFO) have been meeting 
regularly to review construction plans, identify ways to improve 
airport and airspace efficiency, and mitigate construction impacts 
whenever possible. These efforts will continue with the goal to 
mitigate negative impacts to capacity, but the FAA expects some 
decrease in runway capacity during construction. The construction's 
impact to capacity is not definitively known but will be determined as 
construction plans are finalized. Accordingly, it is not possible to 
specifically define runway capacity limits. In conducting its review of 
planned schedules, the FAA will consider factors such as average runway 
arrival and departure rates, historical demand, experienced congestion 
and delays, and projections on operational impacts related to the 
construction.
    The FAA will review the cumulative scheduled flight information 
beginning with the Summer 2012 scheduling season to monitor major 
scheduling peaks that could result in lengthy delays. This advance 
review of schedule information would permit the FAA to discuss the 
operational implications of proposed schedules and suggest changes 
before schedules are finalized and published. The FAA expects the Level 
2 review alone may not reduce existing congestion and delays. Rather, 
the FAA expects to mitigate potential delay increases resulting from 
new or retimed flights. The FAA believes there is available capacity at 
SFO, especially during off-peak times, to accommodate additional 
operations. During the construction, forecasted congestion and delays 
could be mitigated through voluntary carrier scheduling decisions (such 
as retiming operations to less congested times and reducing overall 
operations by combining frequencies and upgauging aircraft). The FAA 
believes a Level 2 designation would provide the necessary information 
to assist carriers with these voluntary scheduling decisions.
    Finally, the FAA expects the Level 2 designation will allow 
interested parties to address any imbalance between demand and capacity 
and work cooperatively to reduce delays. The FAA supports the Level 2 
process as a preferred and viable alternative to full slot coordination 
under Level 3 or other administrative actions to address congestion 
during the RSA construction. The FAA will review the Level 2 
designation, at a minimum, in advance of each scheduling season.
    Accordingly, the FAA designates SFO as a Level 2 airport between 
the hours of 0600 and 2259, Pacific time, (1300 and 0559 UTC), but 
carriers may submit schedule information for any time throughout the 
day. Carriers should submit to the FAA schedule information for all 
planned operations no later than October 20, 2011. This deadline is one 
week later than the IATA deadline because of the late designation of 
SFO as Level 2.
    The FAA recognizes some carriers may have difficulty meeting the 
schedule submission deadline. While most have at least preliminary 
schedule plans, some may require additional time to prepare the initial 
schedule submission. The FAA will grant an additional short extension 
(not exceeding two weeks). The FAA intends to follow the IATA WSG for 
the mid-November Schedules Conference to the extent possible and needs 
schedules as soon as possible to meet IATA deadlines.
    Carriers should submit schedule information in sufficient detail 
including, at minimum, the carrier, flight number, scheduled time of 
arrival or departure, half-hour period, frequency, and effective dates. 
IATA standard schedule information format and data elements (Standard 
Schedules Information Manual or SSIM) may be submitted and may provide 
additional information that could be beneficial in assessing 
operational impacts.
    The summer scheduling season is from March 25, 2012, through 
October 27, 2012, in recognition of the IATA scheduling season dates. 
The FAA understands there may be differences in schedule times due to 
different U.S. daylight saving time dates, and the FAA will accommodate 
these to the extent possible.
    SFO currently is designated Level 2 for certain international 
passenger terminal facilities. This notice does not replace that local 
schedule facilitation process. Carriers should submit schedule 
information to the local facilitator according to the IATA schedule. 
The FAA will work with the local facilitator to ensure consistency of 
planned schedule information.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 11, 2011.
Rebecca B. MacPherson,
Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2011-26774 Filed 10-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P