Posted:  February 26, 2003

              9:00 a.m.

	             UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

               OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

                        WASHINGTON, D.C.

							



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In the Matter of

Application for Approval of Agreement by the 

International Air Transport Association

Docket OST-2003-14480

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NOTICE 

On February 7, 2003, the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
filed an agreement in the above-captioned docket for approval.  Comments
would normally be due 21 days from filing, i.e., on February 28, 2003.  

On February 13, 2003, the High Tech Airfreight Shippers Coalition (the
Coalition) submitted a letter seeking extension for a minimum of 90 days
beyond the normal 21-day comment period.1/ Answers to the Coalition’s
request would have been due on February 26, 2003.  We shortened the
answer date on the Coalition’s request to 3 p.m. February 24, 2003.

IATA answered the Coalition's request and stated that while IATA did not
object to an extension of 60 days beyond the normal period for comments,
the requested 90-day extension was excessive and unnecessary.  

We received answers supporting the full 90-day extension from the
Coalition from the Health & Personal Care Logistics Conference, Inc.,
the National Small Shipments Traffic Conference, Inc, and from the
National Industrial Transportation League.  

In light of the potentially complex analytical issues raised by the IATA
application we view it as particularly important to develop an adequate
record for decision.  In this regard we find it consistent with the
public interest to ensure that all interested parties have sufficient
time to submit comments.  We therefore have decided to extend the
comment period on IATA's application for 90 days beyond the date on
which comments otherwise would have been due. 

__________________

1/ We also received a comparable request from the Health & Personal Care
Logistics Conference, Inc. and the National Small Shipments Traffic
Conference, Inc.

Therefore, acting under authority assigned to the Director, Office of
International Aviation, 14 CFR 385, we are extending the period for
comment on the agreement in the above-captioned docket to May 29, 2003.

We will serve this notice on all interested parties who have filed
pleadings in the docket, as well as on those who were served by IATA
with its application.  

By:

PAUL L. GRETCH

Director

Office of International Aviation

(SEAL)

Dated:  February 25, 2003 

An electronic version of this notice is available on the World Wide Web
at 

http://dms.dot.gov//reports/reports_aviation.asp

