Agency Information Collection: Activity Under OMB Review: Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Large Certificated Air Carriers, 13965-13966 [2021-05015]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 46 / Thursday, March 11, 2021 / Notices 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 selfaddressed stamped postcard. Internet users may access all comments received by DOT at https://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 https:// www.regulations.gov. or the street address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Electronic Access You may access comments received for this notice at https:// www.regulations.gov, by searching docket DOT–OST–2014–0031. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Gorham, Office of Airline Information, RTS–42, Room E34, OST–R, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590–0001, Telephone Number (202) 366–4406, Fax Number (202) 366–3383 or Email jeff.gorham@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval No.: 2138–0006. Title: Preservation of Air Carrier Records—14 CFR part 249. Form No.: None. Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved recordkeeping requirement. Respondents: Certificated air carriers and charter operators. Number of Respondents: 89 certificated air carriers; 280 charter operators. Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours per certificated air carrier; 1 hour per charter operator. Total Annual Burden: 547 hours. Needs and Uses: Part 249 requires the retention of records such as: General and subsidiary ledgers, journals and journal vouchers, voucher distribution registers, accounts receivable and payable journals and ledgers, subsidy VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Mar 10, 2021 Jkt 253001 records documenting underlying financial and statistical reports to DOT, funds reports, consumer records, sales reports, auditors’ and flight coupons, air waybills, etc. Depending on the nature of the document, the carrier may be required to retain the document for a period of 30 days to three years. Public charter operators and overseas military personnel charter operators must retain documents which evidence or reflect deposits made by each charter participant and commissions received by, paid to, or deducted by travel agents, and all statements, invoices, bills and receipts from suppliers or furnishers of goods and services in connection with the tour or charter. These records are retained for six months after completion of the charter program. Not only is it imperative that carriers and charter operators retain source documentation, but it is critical that DOT has access to these records. Given DOT’s established information needs for such reports, the underlying support documentation must be retained for a reasonable period of time. Absent the retention requirements, the support for such reports may or may not exist for audit/validation purposes and the relevance and usefulness of the carrier submissions would be impaired, since the data could not be verified to the source on a test basis. 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 1, 2021. William Chadwick, Jr., Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation Statistics. [FR Doc. 2021–05014 Filed 3–10–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P PO 00000 Frm 00092 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 13965 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 Large Certificated Air Carriers Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST–R), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: 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 data from large certificated air carriers. Large certificated air carriers are carriers that operate aircraft with 61 seats or more, aircraft with 18,001 pounds of payload capacity or more, or operate international air services. DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 10, 2021. Comments: Comments should identify the associated OMB approval #2138– 0013 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 #2138–0013, 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 https://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 selfSUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\11MRN1.SGM 11MRN1 13966 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 46 / Thursday, March 11, 2021 / Notices addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may access all comments received by DOT at https://www.regulations.gov. All comments are posted electronically without change 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 https:// 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 https:// www.regulations.gov, by searching docket DOT–OST–2014–0031. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Gorham, Office of Airline Information, RTS–42, Room E34, OST–R, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590–0001, Telephone Number (202) 366–4406, Fax Number (202) 366–3383 or EMAIL jeff.gorham@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval No.: 2138–0013. Title: Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Large Certificated Air Carriers. Form No.: BTS Form 41. Type Of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Large certificated air carriers. Number of Respondents: 60. Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours per schedule, an average carrier may submit 90 schedules in one year. Total Annual Burden: 13,910 hours. Needs and Uses: Program uses for Form 41 data are as follows: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Mail Rates The Department of Transportation sets and updates the international and mainline Alaska mail rates based on carrier aircraft operating expense, traffic and operational data. Form 41 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Mar 10, 2021 Jkt 253001 more closely parallel their costs of providing mail service and contribute to the carriers’ economic well-being. Submission of U.S. Carrier Data to ICAO As a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the United States is obligated to provide the International Civil Aviation Organization with financial and statistical data on operations of U.S. air carriers. Over 99 percent of the data filed with ICAO is extracted from the carriers’ Form 41 reports. 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 41 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. Form 41 reports, particularly balance sheet reports and cash flow statements play a major role in the identification of vulnerable carriers. Data comparisons are made between current and past periods in order to assess the current financial position of the carrier. Financial trend lines are extended into the future to analyze the continued viability of the carrier. 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 is operating, DOT is required to monitor its continuing fitness. Senior DOT officials must be kept fully informed as to all current and developing economic issues affecting the airline industry. In preparing financial conditions reports or status reports on a particular airline, financial and traffic data are analyzed. Briefing papers 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 PO 00000 Frm 00093 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 1, 2021. William Chadwick, Jr., Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation Statistics. [FR Doc. 2021–05015 Filed 3–10–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Bureau of Transportation Statistics [Docket: DOT–OST–2014–0031 BTS Paperwork Reduction Notice] Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Reporting Required for International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST–R), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: 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 and usefulness of BTS collecting supplemental data for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Comments are requested concerning whether the supplemental reports are needed by BTS to fulfill the United States treaty obligation of furnishing financial and traffic reports to ICAO; BTS accurately estimated the reporting burden; there are other ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collected; and there are ways to minimize reporting burden, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 10, 2021. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number DOT–OST–2014–0031 OMB Approval No. 2138–0039 by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\11MRN1.SGM 11MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13965-13966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05015]


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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 Large Certificated Air 
Carriers

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology 
(OST-R), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 data 
from large certificated air carriers. Large certificated air carriers 
are carriers that operate aircraft with 61 seats or more, aircraft with 
18,001 pounds of payload capacity or more, or operate international air 
services.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 10, 2021.
    Comments: Comments should identify the associated OMB approval 
#2138-0013 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 #2138-0013, 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 https://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-

[[Page 13966]]

addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may access all comments 
received by DOT at https://www.regulations.gov. All comments are posted 
electronically without change 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 https://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 https://www.regulations.gov, by searching docket DOT-OST-2014-0031.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Gorham, Office of Airline 
Information, RTS-42, Room E34, OST-R, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number (202) 366-4406, Fax Number 
(202) 366-3383 or EMAIL [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Approval No.: 2138-0013.
    Title: Report of Financial and Operating Statistics for Large 
Certificated Air Carriers.
    Form No.: BTS Form 41.
    Type Of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Large certificated air carriers.
    Number of Respondents: 60.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours per schedule, an average 
carrier may submit 90 schedules in one year.
    Total Annual Burden: 13,910 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Program uses for Form 41 data are as follows:

Mail Rates

    The Department of Transportation sets and updates the international 
and mainline Alaska mail rates based on carrier aircraft operating 
expense, traffic and operational data. Form 41 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.

Submission of U.S. Carrier Data to ICAO

    As a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the 
United States is obligated to provide the International Civil Aviation 
Organization with financial and statistical data on operations of U.S. 
air carriers. Over 99 percent of the data filed with ICAO is extracted 
from the carriers' Form 41 reports.

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 41 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.
    Form 41 reports, particularly balance sheet reports and cash flow 
statements play a major role in the identification of vulnerable 
carriers. Data comparisons are made between current and past periods in 
order to assess the current financial position of the carrier. 
Financial trend lines are extended into the future to analyze the 
continued viability of the carrier. 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 
is operating, DOT is required to monitor its continuing fitness.
    Senior DOT officials must be kept fully informed as to all current 
and developing economic issues affecting the airline industry. In 
preparing financial conditions reports or status reports on a 
particular airline, financial and traffic data are analyzed. Briefing 
papers 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 1, 2021.
William Chadwick, Jr.,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2021-05015 Filed 3-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P


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