[Federal Register: September 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 184)]
[Notices]
[Page 54317-54318]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24se07-86]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Submission Deadlines for Schedule Information for John
F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International
Airport for the Summer 2008 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 that New York's John F.
Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International
Airport (EWR) have been designated Level 2 Schedules Facilitated
Airports for the summer 2008 scheduling season in accordance with the
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Worldwide Scheduling
Guidelines. Accordingly, the FAA announces an October 11, 2007,
deadline for submitting schedule information for all planned flights at
JFK and EWR between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., local time or 1000
and 0300 UTC. The FAA deadline coincides with the submission deadline
established by IATA for the Summer 2008 Schedules Conference.
The U.S. summer scheduling season is from March 9, 2008, through
November 1, 2008, in recognition of the U.S. daylight saving time
dates. The FAA understands the IATA summer 2008 season is March 30,
2008, through October 25, 2008. The FAA will accept schedules that
coincide with the IATA scheduling season, rather than U.S. daylight
saving dates, in order to ease the administrative burdens on carriers
conducting international operations and in order to ensure that FAA has
the most accurate schedule information.
The Level 2 designations for JFK and EWR are necessary because of
increased levels of air traffic operations, congestion and delay at the
airports and a tangible decrease in operational performance
(performance data for each airport is provided below). The FAA is
implementing a number of initiatives for JFK and EWR to improve air
traffic control (ATC) efficiency and reduce delays at those and other
airports. For instance, ATC has increased use of a second departure
runway at JFK when conditions permit. Other measures for both airports
will improve routing options during periods of adverse weather
conditions. And, over the next several years, the FAA will redesign
airspace in the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia areas in order to
improve efficiency and reduce delays. These near term measures,
however, are not sufficient to meet the current peak hour operational
demands at these airports.
John F. Kennedy Airport
Operations at JFK were previously limited by the FAA under the High
Density Rule. This rule was eliminated at JFK after January 1, 2007, in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 41715(a)(2). The FAA advised IATA and
carriers that this effectively changed the FAA determination for JFK
under IATA guidelines to Level 1 as of January 1, 2007. However, the
FAA now redesignates JFK as Level 2 for the summer 2008 season and
requests carriers to provide schedule information in accordance with
this notice.
JFK is experiencing increased congestion with a corresponding
decrease in on-time performance. Comparing the period of October 2006
through July 2007 to the same period in the previous year, the average
daily operations at JFK increased 23 percent; the average daily
arrivals with delays greater than one hour increased 114 percent; and
on-time gate arrivals within 15 minutes of scheduled time decreased
from 69.7 percent to 61.2 percent. Average taxi-out delay increased 19
percent from 30 to almost 36 minutes on average. The metrics for the
months of June and July 2007 show even further deterioration of
performance. A number of carriers communicated their concerns to the
FAA about the impact the delayed flights are having on operational
reliability, flight connections and network planning.
The FAA intends to work with carriers to review operations,
particularly during the morning hours of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and
afternoon and evening hours from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time. Capacity
exists for new operations or retiming of existing flights at many
periods of the day. The FAA is currently completing a capacity and
demand assessment of JFK and considering steps to address the timing of
flights on the airport's operation. This could result in operational
limits during peak hours and a change of JFK's designation to Level 3.
Newark Liberty International Airport
EWR has been one of the most consistently delayed airports in the
National Airspace System (NAS). For example, for the period of October
2006 through July 2007, EWR had an on-time arrival performance of 60.17
percent, the worst among the top 35 airports. Therefore, based on the
airport's performance metrics and the imbalance between ATC capacity
and demand that is expected to continue in the near term,
[[Page 54318]]
the FAA has decided to designate EWR as an IATA Level 2 Schedules
Facilitated Airport for the summer 2008 scheduling season. The FAA
understands EWR is currently Level 2 for certain international
passenger terminal facilities, and this notice does not replace that
schedule facilitation process done at the local airport level.
The FAA intends to work with carriers to review operations,
particularly during the morning hours of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and
afternoon and evening hours from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time. The FAA
is considering options to further address congestion and improve
operational performance at EWR, including the timing of flights at the
airport, and their impact on the airport's operation.
DATES: Schedules must be submitted no later than October 11, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Schedules may be submitted by mail to Slot Administration
Office, AGC-240, Office of the Chief Counsel, 800 Independence Ave.,
SW., Washington, DC 20591; facsimile: 202-267-7277; ARINC: DCAYAXD; or
by e-mail to: 7-AWA-slotadmin@faa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Komal Jain, Regulations Division,
Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration, 800
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone number: 202-
267-3073.
Issued in Washington, DC, on September 19th, 2007.
James W. Whitlow,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 07-4711 Filed 9-19-07; 2:26 pm]
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