Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small Aircraft Operators
| Citation | 86 FR 15020 |
| Record Number | 2021-05730 |
| Published date | 19 March 2021 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Transportation Statistics Bureau |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 52 (Friday, March 19, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 52 (Friday, March 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15020-15021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05730]
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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: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 May 18, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cecelia Robinson, Office of Airline
Information, RTS-42, Room E34-110, OST-R, BTS,1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number (202) 366-4405, Fax
Number (202) 366-3383 or EMAIL [email protected].
Jennifer Rodes, Office of Airline Information, RTS-42, Room E32-
103, OST-R, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington DC 20590-0001,
Telephone Number (202) 366-8513, Fax Number (202) 366-3383 or EMAIL
[email protected].
Comments: Comments should identify the associated OMB approval
#2138-0009 and Docket ID Number DOT-OST-2014-0031. Persons wishing the
Department to acknowledge receipt of
[[Page 15021]]
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--DOT-OST-2014-0031. The postcard will be date/time
stamped and returned.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
DOT-OST-2014-0031 by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Docket Services: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington,
DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: 202-366-3383.
Instructions: Identify docket number, DOT-OST-2014-0031, at the
beginning of your comments, and send two copies. To receive
confirmation that DOT received your comments, include a self-addressed
stamped postcard. Internet users may access all comments received by
DOT at http://www.regulations.gov. All comments are posted
electronically without charge or edits, including any personal
information provided.
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78).
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov, or the street
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the
dockets.
Electronic Access: You may access comments received for this notice
at http://www.regulations.gov, by searching docket DOT-OST-2014-0031.
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 (22) and commuter air carriers
(41).
Schedule F1:
Number of Respondents: 63.
Number of Annual Responses: 252.
Total Burden per Response: 4 hours.
Total Annual Burden: 1,008 hours.
Schedule F2:
Number of Respondents: 22.
Number of Annual Responses: 88.
Total Burden per Response: 12 hours.
Total Annual Burden: 1,056 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 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 15, 2021.
William Chadwick, Jr.,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2021-05730 Filed 3-18-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
