Department of Transportation September 25, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action reopens the comment period for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on transparency of airline ancillary fees and other consumer protection issues that was published in the Federal Register on May 23, 2014. We are extending the end of the comment period from September 22, 2014, to September 29, 2014. Open Allies for Airfare Transparency and the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) have noted the delay in posting the summary of a meeting attended by DOT staff with representatives of Airlines for America (A4A), the Regional Airline Association (RAA), and several of their member airlines on August 7, 2014. The reopening of the comment period is intended to provide all interested parties sufficient time prior to the close of the comment period for this rulemaking to review the summary of the August 7 meeting that DOT posted in the rulemaking docket.

This action proposes to expand the lateral boundary of restricted area R-3804B, Fort Polk, LA, and raise the restricted area ceiling to, but not including 10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL). The expanded restricted airspace would be used to contain new live fire ranges and support mission requirements of the U.S. Army in order to fully exploit the capabilities of modern weapons systems and complex training scenarios that replicate the conditions encountered during military deployments today. This action also proposes time of designation changes to R-3804A and R-3804B to better reflect when the restricted areas are required and in use by the U.S. Army and when the airspace is available for use by nonparticipants. This action would incorporate editorial corrections to the R-3804A, R-3804B, and R-3804C legal descriptions.

This action proposes to remove Class D airspace at Independence Municipal Airport, Independence, KS. The closure of the airport's air traffic control tower has necessitated the need for this proposal.

These special conditions are issued for Boeing Model 777-300ER airplanes with single-occupant, oblique (side-facing) seats equipped with inflatable lapbelts. This installation is novel or unusual, and the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for occupants of seats installed at an oblique angle of 30 degrees to the centerline of the airplane or for inflatable restraint systems. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

PHMSA is notifying the public of its intent to extend the comment period by thirty days for a notice of proposed rulemaking entitled ``Hazardous Materials: Reverse Logistics'' under Docket Number PHMSA-2011-0143 (HM-253) published in the Federal Register on August 11, 2014.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.