[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 19, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 40231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15753]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 19, 2025 /
Rules and Regulations
[[Page 40231]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
14 CFR Part 399
RIN 2105-AE83
Notice of Termination of Rulemaking Action
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Termination of rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing its
decision to terminate its rulemaking titled ``Notifying Air Travelers
of DOT's Aviation Consumer Hotline'' (RIN 2105-AE83), which was
previously listed in DOT's semiannual Regulatory Agenda. That
rulemaking would have established a consumer complaints toll-free
hotline telephone number and required airlines to display the number on
their websites and at airports in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 42302, as
amended by section 423 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Pub. L.
115-254). However, before DOT could complete a rulemaking, Congress
enacted section 520 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Pub. L.
118-63), which eliminated the requirement from section 42302 that the
Department establish the consumer complaints hotline telephone number.
Consistent with the Administration's focus on reducing regulation and
Congress' elimination of this requirement section 42302, DOT is
terminating the proceeding.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blane A. Workie, Office of the
Secretary, Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (C-70), U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC
20590, 202-366-9342 (phone), [email protected] (email).
DATES: This termination was made on August 19, 2025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 415 of the FAA Modernization and
Reform Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-95) required the Secretary of
Transportation to establish a consumer complaints toll-free hotline
number for the use of passengers in air transportation and to take
actions to notify the public of that telephone number and the internet
website of DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD), now the
Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP).\1\ It also required air
carriers and foreign air carriers that operate scheduled air
transportation using any aircraft with a design seating capacity of 30
or more seats to include on their internet websites: (1) the toll-free
hotline number; (2) the email address, telephone number, and mailing
address of the carrier for the submission of complaints by passengers
about air travel service problems; and (3) ACPD's web and mailing
addresses where passengers can submit complaints about air travel
service problems to DOT. Further, it required carriers to include the
hotline telephone number on prominently displayed signs of the carrier
at airport ticket counters in the United States where the carrier
operates and any electronic confirmation of the purchase of a passenger
ticket for air transportation issued by the carrier. Section 423 of the
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (2018 FAA Act) required the Secretary
of Transportation to promulgate regulations to implement these
requirements, which were in 49 U.S.C. 42302.
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\1\ DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division no longer
exists. Its functions are now part of DOT's Office of Aviation
Consumer Protection.
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DOT responded to section 423 of the 2018 FAA Act by initiating the
Notifying Air Travelers of DOT's Aviation Consumer Hotline rulemaking
(RIN 2105-AE83). However, DOT did not complete the rulemaking before
Congress enacted section 520 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024,
which amended section 42302 by eliminating the requirement that DOT
establish a consumer complaints toll-free hotline telephone number.
Consistent with the Administration's focus on reducing regulation and
Congress' elimination of the consumer complaints toll-free hotline
requirements from statute, the Department withdraws the Notifying Air
Travelers of DOT's Aviation Consumer Hotline rulemaking (RIN 2105-
AE83).
With respect to the requirement remaining in section 42302 for
airlines to provide contacts for the submission of complaints by
passengers to the airline, the Department's regulations in 14 CFR 259.7
already require U.S. and foreign airlines conducting scheduled service
or public charter service using at least one aircraft having a designed
seating capacity of 30 or more seats to make available the mailing and
email or web address of the designated department in the airline with
which to file a complaint about its scheduled service on their website.
As such, an additional rule requiring airlines to provide contacts for
the submission of complaints by passengers to the airline is
unnecessary.
Termination of Proceeding
In view of the foregoing, it is hereby determined that Notifying
Air Travelers of DOT's Aviation Consumer Hotline rulemaking (RIN 2105-
AE83) is terminated.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.27(n).
Gregory D. Cote,
Acting General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2025-15753 Filed 8-18-25; 8:45 am]
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