Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for Chicago O'Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport for the Winter 2025/2026 Scheduling Season, 12931-12933 [2025-04476]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 52 / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 / Notices cargo barrier. Relief from § 25.857(e) is sought to permit carriage of up to two authorized persons (previously known as supernumeraries) in the CRM, while installed in the Class E Cargo compartment, in flight. While the CRM is occupied, relief is sought from § 25.1447(c)(1) because the installation does not provide a manual means for the crew to deploy drop-down oxygen dispensing units. [FR Doc. 2025–04547 Filed 3–18–25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration [Docket No.: FAA–2024–2463; Summary Notice No. 2025–09] Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received; Drone Power1 LLC Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public’s awareness of, and participation in, the FAA’s exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition. SUMMARY: Comments on this petition must identify the petition docket number and must be received on or before April 8, 2025. ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA–2024–2463 using any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically. • Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M–30; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12–140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington DC 20590–0001. • Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12–140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington DC 20590– 0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. • Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493–2251. lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 DATES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:11 Mar 18, 2025 Jkt 265001 Privacy: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.dot.gov/ privacy. Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at https://www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12–140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington DC 20590–0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Jake Troutman at (202) 267–2928, Office of Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20591. This notice is published pursuant to 14 CFR 11.85. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Issued in Washington DC. Dan A. Ngo, Manager, Part 11 Petitions Branch, Office of Rulemaking. Petition for Exemption Docket No.: FAA–2024–2463. Petitioner: DronePower1 LLC. Section(s) of 14 CFR Affected: 49 U.S.C. 44807, 14 CFR part 91, subpart E, §§ 61.3(a)(1)(i), 91.7(a), 91.119(c), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1), 91.409(a)(2), 91.417(a), 91.417(b). Description of Relief Sought: DronePower1 LLC, a startup drone operations service provider founded in Wyoming, seeks an exemption to operate the Joyance JTC30 Cleaning Drone, an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) weighing 55 pounds (lbs.) or greater, to provide commercial solar panel cleaning-related services for commercial and utility sized solar fields. Operations would be conducted in secure solar fields where the solar panels will be ground mounted and not placed on structures. The aircraft’s maximum takeoff weight would not exceed 150 lbs. Operations would be conducted within visual line of site (VLOS) of the pilot in command (PIC) at all times. Operations would not be conducted at night. [FR Doc. 2025–04549 Filed 3–18–25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P PO 00000 Frm 00236 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 12931 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for Chicago O’Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport for the Winter 2025/2026 Scheduling Season Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). AGENCY: ACTION: Notice of submission deadline. Under this notice, FAA announces the submission deadline of May 15, 2025, for Winter 2025/2026 flight schedules at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). SUMMARY: Schedules should be submitted by May 15, 2025. DATES: Schedules may be submitted to the Slot Administration Office by email to: 7-AWA-slotadmin@ faa.gov. ADDRESSES: Al Meilus, Manager, Slot Administration and Capacity Analysis, AJR–G, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267–2822; email Al.Meilus@faa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: This document provides routine notice to carriers serving capacity-constrained airports in the United States, including ORD, JFK, LAX, EWR, and SFO. In particular, this notice announces the deadline for carriers to submit schedules for the Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: General Information for All Airports FAA has designated JFK as an IATA Level 3 airport consistent with the Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG).1 FAA currently limits scheduled 1 FAA generally applies the WSG to the extent there is no conflict with U.S. law or regulation. FAA recognizes the WSG has been replaced by the Worldwide Airports Slot Guidelines (WASG) edition 1, effective June 1, 2020, WASG edition 2, effective July 1, 2022, and most recently, WASG edition 3, effective April 1, 2024. The WASG is published jointly by Airports Council InternationalWorld, IATA, and the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG). While FAA is considering whether to implement certain changes to the Guidelines in the United States, it will continue to apply WSG edition 9. E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1 12932 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 52 / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 / Notices lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 operations at JFK by order that expires on October 24, 2026.2 FAA has designated EWR, LAX, ORD, and SFO as IATA Level 2 airports 3 subject to a schedule review process premised upon voluntary cooperation. The Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season is from October 26, 2025, through March 28, 2026, in recognition of the IATA Winter scheduling period. FAA primarily is concerned about scheduled and other regularly conducted commercial operations during designated hours, but carriers may submit schedule plans for the entire day. The designated hours for the Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season are: at EWR and JFK from 0600 to 2300 Eastern Time,4 at LAX and SFO from 0600 to 2300 Pacific Time,5 and at ORD from 0600 to 2100 Central Time.6 These hours are unchanged from previous scheduling seasons. Carriers should submit schedule information in sufficient detail including, at minimum, the marketing or operating carrier, flight number, scheduled time of operation, frequency, aircraft equipment, and effective dates. IATA standard schedule information format and data elements for communications at Level 2 and Level 3 airports in the IATA Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) Chapter 6 may be used. The WSG provides additional information on schedule submissions at Level 2 and Level 3 airports. Some carriers at JFK manage and track slots through FAAassigned Slot identification (ID) numbers corresponding to an arrival or departure slot in a particular half-hour on a particular day of week and date. FAA has a similar voluntary process for tracking schedules at EWR with Reference IDs, and certain carriers are managing their schedules accordingly. The primary users of IDs are United States and Canadian carriers that have the highest frequencies and considerable schedule changes throughout the season and can benefit from a simplified exchange of information not dependent on full flight 2 Operating Limitations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 73 FR 3510 (Jan. 18, 2008), as most recently extended 89 FR 41486 (May 13, 2024). The slot coordination parameters for JFK are set forth in this Order. 3 These designations remain effective until FAA announces a change in the Federal Register. 4 1000 to 0300 UTC during Daylight Saving Time; 1100 to 0400 UTC for the remainder of the scheduling season. 5 1300 to 0600 UTC during Daylight Saving Time; 1400 to 0700 UTC for the remainder of the scheduling season. 6 1100 to 0200 UTC during Daylight Saving Time; 1200 to 0300 UTC for the remainder of the scheduling season. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:11 Mar 18, 2025 Jkt 265001 details. Carriers are encouraged to submit schedule requests at those airports using Slot or Reference IDs. As stated in the WSG, schedule facilitation at a Level 2 airport is based on the following: (1) Schedule adjustments are mutually agreed upon between the carriers and the facilitator; (2) the intent is to avoid exceeding the airport’s coordination parameters; (3) the concepts of historic precedence and series of slots do not apply at Level 2 airports, although WSG recommends giving priority to approved services that plan to operate unchanged from the previous equivalent season at Level 2 airports; and (4) the facilitator should adjust the smallest number of flights by the least amount of time necessary to avoid exceeding the airport’s coordination parameters. Consistent with the WSG, the success of Level 2 in the United States depends on the voluntary cooperation of carriers. FAA considers several factors and priorities that are consistent with the WSG as it reviews schedule and slot requests at Level 2 and Level 3 airports, including (1) historic slots or services from the previous equivalent season over new demand for the same timings; (2) services that are unchanged over services that plan to change time or other capacity relevant parameters; (3) introduction of year-round services; (4) effective period of operation; (5) regularly planned operations over ad hoc operations; and (6) other operational factors that may limit a carrier’s timing flexibility. FAA seeks to maintain close communications with carriers and terminal schedule facilitators on potential runway schedule issues or terminal and gate issues that may affect the runway times. In addition to applying these priorities from the WSG, the U.S. Government has adopted a number of measures and procedures to promote competition and new entry at U.S. slot-controlled and schedulefacilitated airports. Slot management in the United States differs in some respect from procedures in other countries. In the United States, FAA is responsible for facilitation and coordination of runway access for takeoffs and landings at Level 2 and Level 3 airports; however, the airport authority or its designee is responsible for facilitation and coordination of terminal/gate/airport facility access. The process with the individual airports for terminal access and other airport services is separate from, and in addition to, FAA schedule review based on runway capacity. Generally, FAA uses average hourly runway capacity throughput for airports PO 00000 Frm 00237 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 and performance metrics in conducting its schedule review at Level 2 airports and determining the scheduling limits at Level 3 airports included in FAA rules or orders.7 FAA also considers other factors that can affect operations, such as capacity changes due to runway, taxiway, or other airport construction, air traffic control procedural changes, airport surface operations, and historical or projected flight delays and congestion. Finally, FAA notes that the schedule information submitted by carriers to FAA may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The WSG also provides for release of information at certain stages of slot coordination and schedule facilitation. In general, once it acts on a schedule submission or slot request, FAA may release information on slot allocation or similar slot transactions, or schedule information reviewed as part of the schedule facilitation process. FAA does not expect that practice to change, and most slot and schedule information would not be exempt from release under FOIA. FAA recognizes that some carriers may submit information on schedule plans that is both customarily and actually treated as private. Carriers that submit such confidential schedule information should clearly mark the information, or any relevant portions thereof, as proprietary information (‘‘PROPIN’’). FAA will take the necessary steps to protect properly designated information to the extent allowable by law. EWR General Information Consistent with the WSG, carriers are asked for their voluntary cooperation to adjust schedules to meet the targeted scheduling limits in order to minimize potential congestion and delay. For the Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season, the voluntary, targeted hourly scheduling limits remain at 77 operations and 41 operations per halfhour.8 To help with a balance between arrivals and departures, the targeted maximum number of scheduled arrivals or departures, respectively, is 41 in an hour and 22 in a half-hour. These targets 7 FAA typically determines an airport’s average adjusted runway capacity or typical throughput for Level 2 airports by reviewing hourly data on the arrival and departure rates that air traffic control indicates could be accepted for that hour, commonly known as ‘‘called’’ rates. FAA also reviews the actual number of arrivals and departures that operated in the same hour. Generally, FAA uses the higher of the two numbers, called or actual, for identifying trends and schedule review purposes. Some dates are excluded from analysis, such as during periods when extended airport closures or construction could affect capacity. 8 See 89 FR 43501 (May 17, 2024). E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 52 / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 / Notices are expected to allow some higher levels of operations in certain periods (not to exceed the hourly limits) and some recovery from lower demand in adjacent periods. Consistent with general established practice at EWR, FAA will accept flights above the limits if the flights were operated as approved, or treated as operated, by the same carrier on a regular basis in the previous corresponding season (i.e., Winter 2024/ 2025) and consistent with DOT’s 2022 reassignment of 16 peak-hour runway timings.9 However, FAA does not intend to approve requests for new flights unless they can be accommodated within the targeted limits. FAA is seeking carriers’ voluntary cooperation to get scheduled operations down to the targeted scheduling limits. Carriers are reminded that FAA approval for runway times is separate from the approval process for gates or other airport infrastructure and both are essential for the success of Level 2 at EWR. Schedule facilitation at Level 2 airports is designed to engender collaboration and gain mutual agreement between the carriers and FAA regarding schedules and potential adjustments to stay within the performance goals and capacity limits of the airport and to mitigate delays and congestion that would result in the need for Level 3 slot controls. FAA expects that all carriers operating at EWR will respect the targeted scheduling limits and work cooperatively with FAA in order to avoid unacceptable delays and other adverse operational impacts at the airport. Issued in Washington, DC, on March 13, 2025. Daniel J. Murphy, Vice President, System Operations Services. [FR Doc. 2025–04476 Filed 3–18–25; 8:45 am] lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 9 See Department of Transportation Order 2022– 7–1, Docket DOT–OST–2021–0103, served July 5, 2022, ‘‘Reassignment of Schedules at NewarkLiberty International Airport.’’ VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:11 Mar 18, 2025 Jkt 265001 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Notice of Availability, Notice of Public Comment Period, Notice of Virtual Public Meeting, and Request for Comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the SpaceX Falcon 9 Operations at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC–40), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of availability, public comment period, and virtual public meeting. AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) and FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, the FAA is announcing the availability of and requesting comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment for SpaceX Falcon 9 Operations at Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (Draft EA). DATES: The FAA will hold a virtual public meeting on the Draft EA on April 16, 2025, from 6–8 p.m. (eastern). Interested parties must register to join the virtual public meeting. Registration is now available at the link in ADDRESSES. The public comment period for the Draft EA and DAF’s Draft FONSI will close on April 24, 2025. ADDRESSES: The Draft EA is available for public review at https://www.faa.gov/ space/stakeholder_engagement/ SpaceX_Falcon_SLC_40_EA. The Unique ID for this document is EAXX–021–12–000–1737545438. The United States Department of Air Force (DAF) is a Cooperating Agency for this Draft EA. In order to meet DAF’s National Environmental Policy Act requirements for adopting the FAA’s Environmental Assessment as a Cooperating Agency, (see 32 CFR 989.15(e)), the FAA has also posted a link to the Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (Draft FONSI) on behalf of the DAF for public comment. The DAF Draft FONSI can be viewed at: The DAF Draft FONSI can be viewed at: https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/ Resources/Environmental-Information/. The Draft EA and Draft FONSI have been posted and comments will be received through the Federal ERulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Search for ‘‘FAA– 2025–0114’’ to retrieve the docket and follow the instructions to submit a comment. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00238 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 12933 The FAA invites interested parties to submit comments on the Draft EA and USSF Draft FONSI. Public comments can be submitted electronically to www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA–2025–0114, by postal mail to Ms. Eva Long, FAA Environmental Protection Specialist, c/o ICF, 1902 Reston Metro Plaza Reston, VA 20190, or delivered in verbal form at the public meeting. • Meeting Registration Link: https:// us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ 8qtN8bzPS1eApVobqo8poA. Dial-in phone number: 888–788–0099 (Toll Free), Webinar ID: 853 9161 5696, Passcode: 743444. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EA analyzes: • Up to 120 Falcon 9 launches annually at SLC–40, an annual increase of 70 launches from the 50 previously analyzed. • Construction and operation of a landing zone at Space Launch Complex40, and • Up to 34 first-stage booster landings at the new landing zone annually. The Draft EA also evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with FAA’s approval of related airspace closures. The FAA will provide a pre-recorded presentation during the first portion of the public meeting. The public will have the opportunity to submit written and oral comments during the meeting. Both English and Spanish versions of the presentation will be made available to the public on April 16, 2025 on the project website: https://www.faa.gov/ space/stakeholder_engagement/ SpaceX_Falcon_SLC_40_EA. More information on the Draft EA, Draft FONSI, and virtual public meetings can be found at https:// www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_ engagement/SpaceX_Falcon_SLC_40_ EA. If any accommodation for the public meeting is needed (such as additional translation services), please submit a request by April 4, 2025, to SpaceXFalconSLC40@icf.com. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask the FAA in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, the FAA cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. All comments received during the comment period will be given equal weight and be taken into consideration in the preparation of the Final EA. E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12931-12933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04476]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for 
Chicago O'Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International 
Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty 
International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport for the 
Winter 2025/2026 Scheduling Season

AGENCY: Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA).

ACTION: Notice of submission deadline.

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

SUMMARY: Under this notice, FAA announces the submission deadline of 
May 15, 2025, for Winter 2025/2026 flight schedules at Chicago O'Hare 
International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport 
(JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty 
International Airport (EWR), and San Francisco International Airport 
(SFO).

DATES: Schedules should be submitted by May 15, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Schedules may be submitted to the Slot Administration Office 
by email to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Al Meilus, Manager, Slot 
Administration and Capacity Analysis, AJR-G, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; 
telephone (202) 267-2822; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides routine notice to 
carriers serving capacity-constrained airports in the United States, 
including ORD, JFK, LAX, EWR, and SFO. In particular, this notice 
announces the deadline for carriers to submit schedules for the Winter 
2025/2026 scheduling season.

General Information for All Airports

    FAA has designated JFK as an IATA Level 3 airport consistent with 
the Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG).\1\ FAA currently limits scheduled

[[Page 12932]]

operations at JFK by order that expires on October 24, 2026.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ FAA generally applies the WSG to the extent there is no 
conflict with U.S. law or regulation. FAA recognizes the WSG has 
been replaced by the Worldwide Airports Slot Guidelines (WASG) 
edition 1, effective June 1, 2020, WASG edition 2, effective July 1, 
2022, and most recently, WASG edition 3, effective April 1, 2024. 
The WASG is published jointly by Airports Council International-
World, IATA, and the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG). 
While FAA is considering whether to implement certain changes to the 
Guidelines in the United States, it will continue to apply WSG 
edition 9.
    \2\ Operating Limitations at John F. Kennedy International 
Airport, 73 FR 3510 (Jan. 18, 2008), as most recently extended 89 FR 
41486 (May 13, 2024). The slot coordination parameters for JFK are 
set forth in this Order.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FAA has designated EWR, LAX, ORD, and SFO as IATA Level 2 airports 
\3\ subject to a schedule review process premised upon voluntary 
cooperation. The Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season is from October 26, 
2025, through March 28, 2026, in recognition of the IATA Winter 
scheduling period.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ These designations remain effective until FAA announces a 
change in the Federal Register.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FAA primarily is concerned about scheduled and other regularly 
conducted commercial operations during designated hours, but carriers 
may submit schedule plans for the entire day. The designated hours for 
the Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season are: at EWR and JFK from 0600 to 
2300 Eastern Time,\4\ at LAX and SFO from 0600 to 2300 Pacific Time,\5\ 
and at ORD from 0600 to 2100 Central Time.\6\ These hours are unchanged 
from previous scheduling seasons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 1000 to 0300 UTC during Daylight Saving Time; 1100 to 0400 
UTC for the remainder of the scheduling season.
    \5\ 1300 to 0600 UTC during Daylight Saving Time; 1400 to 0700 
UTC for the remainder of the scheduling season.
    \6\ 1100 to 0200 UTC during Daylight Saving Time; 1200 to 0300 
UTC for the remainder of the scheduling season.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Carriers should submit schedule information in sufficient detail 
including, at minimum, the marketing or operating carrier, flight 
number, scheduled time of operation, frequency, aircraft equipment, and 
effective dates. IATA standard schedule information format and data 
elements for communications at Level 2 and Level 3 airports in the IATA 
Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) Chapter 6 may be used. The 
WSG provides additional information on schedule submissions at Level 2 
and Level 3 airports. Some carriers at JFK manage and track slots 
through FAA-assigned Slot identification (ID) numbers corresponding to 
an arrival or departure slot in a particular half-hour on a particular 
day of week and date. FAA has a similar voluntary process for tracking 
schedules at EWR with Reference IDs, and certain carriers are managing 
their schedules accordingly. The primary users of IDs are United States 
and Canadian carriers that have the highest frequencies and 
considerable schedule changes throughout the season and can benefit 
from a simplified exchange of information not dependent on full flight 
details. Carriers are encouraged to submit schedule requests at those 
airports using Slot or Reference IDs.
    As stated in the WSG, schedule facilitation at a Level 2 airport is 
based on the following: (1) Schedule adjustments are mutually agreed 
upon between the carriers and the facilitator; (2) the intent is to 
avoid exceeding the airport's coordination parameters; (3) the concepts 
of historic precedence and series of slots do not apply at Level 2 
airports, although WSG recommends giving priority to approved services 
that plan to operate unchanged from the previous equivalent season at 
Level 2 airports; and (4) the facilitator should adjust the smallest 
number of flights by the least amount of time necessary to avoid 
exceeding the airport's coordination parameters. Consistent with the 
WSG, the success of Level 2 in the United States depends on the 
voluntary cooperation of carriers.
    FAA considers several factors and priorities that are consistent 
with the WSG as it reviews schedule and slot requests at Level 2 and 
Level 3 airports, including (1) historic slots or services from the 
previous equivalent season over new demand for the same timings; (2) 
services that are unchanged over services that plan to change time or 
other capacity relevant parameters; (3) introduction of year-round 
services; (4) effective period of operation; (5) regularly planned 
operations over ad hoc operations; and (6) other operational factors 
that may limit a carrier's timing flexibility.
    FAA seeks to maintain close communications with carriers and 
terminal schedule facilitators on potential runway schedule issues or 
terminal and gate issues that may affect the runway times. In addition 
to applying these priorities from the WSG, the U.S. Government has 
adopted a number of measures and procedures to promote competition and 
new entry at U.S. slot-controlled and schedule-facilitated airports.
    Slot management in the United States differs in some respect from 
procedures in other countries. In the United States, FAA is responsible 
for facilitation and coordination of runway access for takeoffs and 
landings at Level 2 and Level 3 airports; however, the airport 
authority or its designee is responsible for facilitation and 
coordination of terminal/gate/airport facility access. The process with 
the individual airports for terminal access and other airport services 
is separate from, and in addition to, FAA schedule review based on 
runway capacity.
    Generally, FAA uses average hourly runway capacity throughput for 
airports and performance metrics in conducting its schedule review at 
Level 2 airports and determining the scheduling limits at Level 3 
airports included in FAA rules or orders.\7\ FAA also considers other 
factors that can affect operations, such as capacity changes due to 
runway, taxiway, or other airport construction, air traffic control 
procedural changes, airport surface operations, and historical or 
projected flight delays and congestion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ FAA typically determines an airport's average adjusted 
runway capacity or typical throughput for Level 2 airports by 
reviewing hourly data on the arrival and departure rates that air 
traffic control indicates could be accepted for that hour, commonly 
known as ``called'' rates. FAA also reviews the actual number of 
arrivals and departures that operated in the same hour. Generally, 
FAA uses the higher of the two numbers, called or actual, for 
identifying trends and schedule review purposes. Some dates are 
excluded from analysis, such as during periods when extended airport 
closures or construction could affect capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, FAA notes that the schedule information submitted by 
carriers to FAA may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA). The WSG also provides for release of 
information at certain stages of slot coordination and schedule 
facilitation. In general, once it acts on a schedule submission or slot 
request, FAA may release information on slot allocation or similar slot 
transactions, or schedule information reviewed as part of the schedule 
facilitation process. FAA does not expect that practice to change, and 
most slot and schedule information would not be exempt from release 
under FOIA. FAA recognizes that some carriers may submit information on 
schedule plans that is both customarily and actually treated as 
private. Carriers that submit such confidential schedule information 
should clearly mark the information, or any relevant portions thereof, 
as proprietary information (``PROPIN''). FAA will take the necessary 
steps to protect properly designated information to the extent 
allowable by law.

EWR General Information

    Consistent with the WSG, carriers are asked for their voluntary 
cooperation to adjust schedules to meet the targeted scheduling limits 
in order to minimize potential congestion and delay. For the Winter 
2025/2026 scheduling season, the voluntary, targeted hourly scheduling 
limits remain at 77 operations and 41 operations per half-hour.\8\ To 
help with a balance between arrivals and departures, the targeted 
maximum number of scheduled arrivals or departures, respectively, is 41 
in an hour and 22 in a half-hour. These targets

[[Page 12933]]

are expected to allow some higher levels of operations in certain 
periods (not to exceed the hourly limits) and some recovery from lower 
demand in adjacent periods. Consistent with general established 
practice at EWR, FAA will accept flights above the limits if the 
flights were operated as approved, or treated as operated, by the same 
carrier on a regular basis in the previous corresponding season (i.e., 
Winter 2024/2025) and consistent with DOT's 2022 reassignment of 16 
peak-hour runway timings.\9\ However, FAA does not intend to approve 
requests for new flights unless they can be accommodated within the 
targeted limits. FAA is seeking carriers' voluntary cooperation to get 
scheduled operations down to the targeted scheduling limits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ See 89 FR 43501 (May 17, 2024).
    \9\ See Department of Transportation Order 2022-7-1, Docket DOT-
OST-2021-0103, served July 5, 2022, ``Reassignment of Schedules at 
Newark-Liberty International Airport.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Carriers are reminded that FAA approval for runway times is 
separate from the approval process for gates or other airport 
infrastructure and both are essential for the success of Level 2 at 
EWR. Schedule facilitation at Level 2 airports is designed to engender 
collaboration and gain mutual agreement between the carriers and FAA 
regarding schedules and potential adjustments to stay within the 
performance goals and capacity limits of the airport and to mitigate 
delays and congestion that would result in the need for Level 3 slot 
controls. FAA expects that all carriers operating at EWR will respect 
the targeted scheduling limits and work cooperatively with FAA in order 
to avoid unacceptable delays and other adverse operational impacts at 
the airport.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 13, 2025.
Daniel J. Murphy,
Vice President, System Operations Services.
[FR Doc. 2025-04476 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.