Notice2025-01064
Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small Aircraft Operators
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentTransportation Statistics Bureau
Abstract
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: 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6050-6051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01064]
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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: 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 February 18, 2025.
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments are posted
electronically without charge or edits, including any personal
information provided.
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 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.
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, by searching docket DOT-OST-2014-0031.
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) 893-0515, Fax
Number (202) 366-3383 or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#47242224222b2e26693528252e293428290723283369202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="10737573757c79713e627f72797e637f7e50747f643e777f66">[email protected]</span></a>.
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
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4309262d2d2a2526316d312c27263003272c376d242c35"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="743e111a1a1d1211065a061b10110734101b005a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A notice of this information collection was
published in the Federal Register allowing for a 60-day comment period
November 8, 2024 at 89 FR 88863.
OMB Approval No. 2138-0009
Title: Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Small
Aircraft Operators
Form No.: BTS Form 298-C.
[[Page 6051]]
Type Of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection for
the financial data.
Respondents: Small certificated (28) and commuter air carriers
(33).
Schedule F1:
Number of Respondents: 61.
Number of Annual responses: 244.
Total Burden per Response: 4 hours.
Total Annual Burden: 976 hours.
Schedule F2:
Number of Respondents: 28.
Number of Annual responses: 112.
Total Burden per Response: 12 hours.
Total Annual Burden: 1,344 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 carrier's 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 (U.S.C.) 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, January 8, 2025.
Rolf Schmitt,
Acting Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2025-01064 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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