[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14102-14103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06615]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

[Docket ID Number DOT-OST-2014-0031]


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report 
of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small Aircraft Operators

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology 
(OST-R), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) 
abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for extension of currently approved collection. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collection and its expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on the following collection of information was 
published on January 23, 2018 (83 FR 15, Page 3257).
    No comments were received.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 2, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marianne Seguin, Office of Airline 
Information, RTS-42, Room E32-105, OST-R, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number (202) 366-1547, Fax 
Number (202) 366-3383 or EMAIL [email protected].
    Comments: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20503, Attention: OST Desk Officer.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Approval No. 2138-0009.
    Title: Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small 
Aircraft Operators.
    Form No.: BTS Form 298-C.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection for 
the financial data.
    Respondents: Small certificated (29) and commuter air carriers 
(35).

Schedule F1

    Number of Respondents: 64.
    Number of Annual Responses: 256.
    Total Burden per Response: 4 hours.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,024 hours.

Schedule F2

    Number of Respondents: 29.
    Number of Annual Responses: 116.
    Total Burden per Response: 12 hours.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,392 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Program uses for Form 298-C financial data are as 
follows:

Mail Rates

    The Department of Transportation sets and updates the Intra-Alaska 
Bush mail rates based on carrier aircraft operating expense, traffic, 
and operational data. Form 298-C cost data, especially fuel costs, 
terminal expenses, and line haul expenses are used in arriving at rate 
levels. DOT revises the established rates based on the percentage of 
unit cost changes in the carriers' operations. These updating 
procedures have resulted in the carriers receiving rates of 
compensation that more closely parallel their costs of providing mail 
service and contribute to the carriers' economic well-being.

Essential Air Service

    DOT often has to select a carrier to provide a community's 
essential air service. The selection criteria include historic presence 
in the community, reliability of service, financial stability and cost 
structure of the air carrier.

Carrier Fitness

    Fitness determinations are made for both new entrants and 
established U.S. domestic carriers proposing a substantial change in 
operations. A portion of these applications consists of an operating 
plan for the first year (14 CFR part 204) and an associated projection 
of revenues and expenses. The carrier's operating costs, included in 
these projections, are compared against the cost data in Form 298-C for 
a carrier or carriers with the same aircraft type and similar operating 
characteristics. Such a review validates the reasonableness of the 
carrier's operating plan.
    The quarterly financial submissions by commuter and small 
certificated air carriers are used in determining each carrier's 
continuing fitness to operate. Section 41738 of Title 49 of the United 
States Code requires DOT to find all commuter and small certificated 
air carriers fit, willing, and able to conduct passenger service as a 
prerequisite to providing such service to an eligible essential air 
service point. In making a

[[Page 14103]]

fitness determination, DOT reviews three areas of a carrier's 
operation: (1) The qualifications of its management team, (2) its 
disposition to comply with laws and regulations, and (3) its financial 
posture. DOT must determine whether or not a carrier has sufficient 
financial resources to conduct its operations without imposing undue 
risk on the traveling public. Moreover, once a carrier begins 
conducting flight operations, DOT is required to monitor its continuing 
fitness.
    Senior DOT officials must be kept fully informed and advised of all 
current and developing economic issues affecting the airline industry. 
In preparing financial condition reports or status reports on a 
particular airline, financial and traffic data are analyzed. Briefing 
papers prepared for senior DOT officials may use the same information.
    The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency 
Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note), requires a statistical agency to 
clearly identify information it collects for non-statistical purposes. 
BTS hereby notifies the respondents and the public that BTS uses the 
information it collects under this OMB approval for non-statistical 
purposes including, but not limited to, publication of both 
Respondent's identity and its data, submission of the information to 
agencies outside BTS for review, analysis and possible use in 
regulatory and other administrative matters.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 27, 2018.
William Chadwick, Jr.,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2018-06615 Filed 3-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P