[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 18 (Thursday, January 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4993-4994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1747]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
[Docket ID Number RITA 2008-0002]
Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report
of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small Aircraft Operators
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public
Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics invites the general
public, industry and other governmental parties to comment on the
continuing need for and usefulness of BTS collecting financial, traffic
and operating statistics from small certificated and commuter air
carriers. Small certificated air carriers (operate aircraft with 60
seats or less or with 18,000 pounds of payload capacity or less)
currently must file the two quarterly schedules listed below:
F-1 Report of Financial Data,
F-2 Report of Aircraft Operating Expenses and Related Statistics, and
Commuter air carriers must file the Schedule F-1 Report of Financial
Data
Commenters should address whether BTS accurately estimated the
reporting burden and if there are other ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information collected.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by March 28, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline
Information, RTS-42, Room E36-303, RITA, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue,
SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number (202) 366-4387, Fax
Number (202) 366-3383 or e-mail [email protected].
Comments: Comments should identify the associated OMB approval
2138-0009 and Docket ID Number RITA 2008-0002. Persons wishing
the Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit
with those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the
following statement is made: Comments on OMB 2138-0009,
Docket--RITA 2008-0002. The postcard will be date/time stamped and
returned.
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 and commuter air carriers.
Number of Respondents: 80.
Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours per commuter carrier; 12 hours
per small certificated carrier.
Total Annual Burden: 2,560 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
[[Page 4994]]
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 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 on January 20, 2011.
Anne Suissa,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2011-1747 Filed 1-26-11; 8:45 am]
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