Department of Transportation January 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014-15-09, AD 2020-15-09, and AD 2022-16-07. AD 2014-15-09 applies to all Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter, A330-200 and -300, and A340- 200, -300, -500, and -600 series airplanes. AD 2020-15-09 applies to all Airbus SAS Model A330-941 airplanes. AD 2014-15-09 and AD 2020-15- 09 require repetitive operational tests of the hydraulic locking function on certain spoiler servo-controls (SSCs) and replacement if necessary. AD 2022-16-07 applies to certain Airbus SAS Model A330-200, A330-200 Freighter, and A330-300 series airplanes. AD 2022-16-07 requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-16-07, the FAA has determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would continue to require certain actions in AD 2014- 15-09, AD 2020-15-09, and AD 2022-16-07 and would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). This proposed AD also removes Model A340-200, -300, -500, and -600 series airplanes from the applicability. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action would revise certain aircraft maintenance inspection rules for small, corporate-sized, and unmanned aircraft. The proposed changes include additional inspection program options for owners of single-engine turbine-powered airplanes and unmanned aircraft, relaxed mechanical reliability reporting requirements for certain aircraft, and several changes to clarify and simplify various maintenance-related regulations. These proposed amendments would relieve aircraft owners, operators, maintenance providers, and the FAA. The proposed amendments would provide greater flexibility for aircraft maintenance, standardized reporting requirements, and provide clarification of various maintenance-related regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval renew information collection. The collection involves requesting that small on-demand operators voluntarily provide the number of revenue passengers that boarded their aircraft at each airport annually. This information is used in determining an airport's category and eligibility for federal funding on an annual basis. It is not available through any other federal data source.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of title 14 of the Code of Federal 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.

These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is a side-stick controller for one-hand operation requiring wrist motion only, not arms. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of large, non-structural glass items in the passenger cabin. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the information collection and their expected burdens for the Charter Service Operations.

The FHWA is announcing a pilot program to enable, on an experimental basis, a State department of transportation (State DOT) to determine the Federal share on a project, multi-project, or program basis for projects under certain specified programs. The Federal Share Flexibility Pilot (Pilot) Program will be carried out until September 30, 2026.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes 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 for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

FRA is amending its regulations related to occupational noise exposure in three ways. First, in response to a congressional mandate, FRA is expanding those regulations to require that railroads provide an appropriate atmosphere-supplying emergency escape breathing apparatus to every train crew member and certain other employees while they are occupying a locomotive cab of a freight train transporting a hazardous material that would pose an inhalation hazard in the event of release during an accident. Second, FRA is changing the name of this part of its regulations from ``Occupational Noise Exposure'' to ``Occupational Safety and Health in the Locomotive Cab'' to reflect the additional subject matter of this final rule and to make other conforming amendments. Third, FRA is removing the provision stating the preemptive effect of this part of FRA's regulations because it is unnecessary.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The information to be collected includes data required for performing launch site location analysis. The launch site license is valid for a period of 5 years. Respondents are licensees authorized to operate sites.

This rulemaking proposes updates to the National Performance Management Measures regulations to consider impacts of national emergencies on performance achievement, address compliance determinations and penalty assessment for the pavement condition measures, clarify data collection standards and requirements, adjust freight reporting to align with the 4-year update cycle for State Freight Plans in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and provide select clarifying technical corrections. The rulemaking would also incorporate by reference the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) Field Manual, which includes updated fields related to the collection of Transportation Performance Management (TPM) data. This rulemaking also would provide for greater opportunities for meaningful safety performance targets and outcomes, consider approaches to alternative safety performance measures, and align performance targets for the three common measures that must be identical with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of a therapeutic oxygen system for medical use. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

This action grants a limited, conditional waiver of the minimum slot usage requirements at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) due to runway construction and closures at the airport in 2024 and for impacted flights between DCA and slot-controlled airports John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA). In addition, the FAA will provide similar limited, conditional relief at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) under the FAA's Level 2 schedule facilitation process.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace for Barrow County Airport, Winder, GA, extending upward from 700 feet above the surface. This action would increase the existing radius and update the airport's name and geographic coordinates to coincide with the FAA's database.

This action extends the comment period for the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Drug and Alcohol Testing of Certificated Repair Station Employees Located Outside of the United States. On December 7, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published this proposed rule. The NPRM would require certificated repair stations located outside the territory of the United States whose employees perform safety-sensitive maintenance functions on certain air carrier aircraft to obtain and implement a drug and alcohol testing program in accordance with the requirements of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Program published by the FAA and the Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug Testing Programs published by the Department of Transportation. The FAA is extending the comment period for this NPRM to allow commenters additional time to analyze the proposed rule and prepare a response.

In a decision served on January 19, 2024, the Board proposed to adopt 1.011 (1.1% per year) as the measure of average (geometric mean) change in railroad productivity for the 2018-2022 (five-year) period. The Board's January 19, 2024 decision stated that comments may be filed addressing any perceived data and computational errors in the Board's calculation. The decision also stated that, unless a further order is issued postponing the effective date, the decision will take effect on March 1, 2024.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On November 4, 2023, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR. FRA received no comments related to the proposed collection of information.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

FMCSA proposes to remove medical examiners (ME) from its National Registry who have failed to access their National Registry account using login.gov and have failed to update the profile information in their National Registry account as required. Since June 2018, by using the email, physical address, and telephone number these MEs provided to the Agency in their National Registry account, FMCSA has attempted to notify them of the requirement to access their account using login.gov. There are approximately 15,727 MEs who have not accessed their National Registry account using login.gov and as a result, are not able to fulfill regulatory requirements such as reporting results of physical qualification examinations performed on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers, receiving FMCSA communications, and completing required training. MEs who are removed from the National Registry will no longer be certified to perform physical qualification examinations of CMV drivers. To avoid being removed from the National Registry, MEs to whom this notice applies must complete the corrective actions set forth below. A list of MEs subject to this notice is provided in the docket for this proceeding.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) adopts a final rule amending its emergency service regulations.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Bombardier, Inc., Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports from the supplier that some overheat detection sensing elements of the bleed air leak detection system were manufactured with insufficient salt fill, which can result in an inability to detect hot bleed air leaks. This AD requires revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to include procedures to prevent takeoff with an active bleed air leak annunciated while on the ground. This AD also requires testing the overheat detection sensing elements, marking each serviceable sensing element with a witness mark, and replacing each nonserviceable part with a serviceable part. This AD also prohibits the installation of affected parts. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.