
[Federal Register: April 14, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 72)]
[Notices]               
[Page 20083-20084]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ap08-101]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2007-0108]

 
National Task Force To Develop Model Contingency Plans To Deal 
With Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground Delays

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation 
(DOT).

ACTION: Notice of meeting of advisory committee.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the National Task Force to 
Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy Airline On-Board 
Ground Delays.

DATES: The Task Force meeting is scheduled for April 29, 2008, from 
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: The Task Force meeting will be held at the U.S. Department 
of Transportation (U.S. DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 
DC, in the Oklahoma City Conference Room on the lobby level of the West 
Building.

For Further Information or to Contact the Department Concerning the 
Task Force: Livaughn Chapman, Jr., or Kathleen Blank-Riether, Office of 
the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave., SE., W-96-429, Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone: (202) 366-9342; 
Fax: (202) 366-7152; E-mail: Livaughn.Chapman@dot.gov, or 
Kathleen.Blankriether@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App.2, and the General Services 
Administration regulations covering management of Federal advisory 
committees, 41 CFR Part 102-3, this notice announces a meeting of the 
National Task Force to Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with 
Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground Delays. The Meeting will be held on 
April 29, 2008, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation (U.S. DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, 
in the Oklahoma City Conference Room on the lobby level of the West 
Building.
    DOT's Office of Inspector General recommended, in its audit report, 
entitled ``Actions Needed to Minimize Long, On-Board Flight Delays,'' 
issued on September 25, 2007, that the Secretary of Transportation 
establish a national task force of airlines, airports, and the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) to coordinate and develop contingency 
plans to deal with lengthy delays, such as working with carriers and 
airports to share facilities and make gates available in an emergency. 
To effectuate this recommendation, on January 3, 2008, the Department, 
consistent with the requirements of the FACA, established the National 
Task Force to Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy 
Airline On-Board Ground Delays. The first meeting of the Task Force 
took place on February 26, 2008.
    The agenda topics for the April 29, 2008, meeting will include the 
following: (1) A presentation by FAA's Air Traffic Control on its 
perspective on air traffic holds and ground delays and uncertainties in 
the system; (2) a presentation on the regional airline perspective of 
tarmac delays; (3) one or more presentations on recent tarmac delay 
events and efforts to avoid them; (4) a briefing by the Passenger Needs 
Working Group, the working group that studied the common needs of 
significantly delayed passengers on aircraft and passengers who 
returned to the terminal after disembarking from such aircraft; (5) a 
briefing by the Delays Causes Working Group, the working group that 
examined the possible causes of lengthy tarmac delays; and (6) a 
discussion of whether additional working groups should be established 
to achieve the objectives of the Task Force and if so, what the purpose 
of these working groups should be.
    Attendance is open to the public, and time will be provided for 
comments by members of the public. Since access to the U.S. DOT 
headquarters building is controlled for security purposes, any member 
of the general public who plans to attend this meeting must notify the 
Department contact noted above ten (10) calendar days prior to the 
meeting. Attendance will be necessarily limited by the size of the 
meeting room.
    Members of the public may present written comments at any time and, 
at the discretion of the Chairman and time permitting, oral comments at 
the meeting. Any oral comments permitted must be limited to agenda 
items and will be limited to five (5) minutes per person. Members of 
the public who wish to present oral comments must notify the Department 
contact noted above via email that they wish to attend and present oral 
comments at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the meeting. For this 
April 29, 2008, meeting, no more than one hour will be set aside for 
oral comments. Although written material may be filed in the docket at 
any time, comments regarding upcoming meeting topics should be sent to 
the Task Force docket (10) calendar days prior to the meeting. Members 
of the public may also contact the Department contact noted above to be 
placed on the Task Force mailing list.
    Persons with a disability requiring special accommodations, such as 
an interpreter for the hearing impaired, should contact the Department 
contact noted above at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the 
meeting.
    Notice of this meeting is provided in accordance with the FACA and 
the General Service Administration regulations covering management of 
Federal advisory committees.


[[Page 20084]]


    Issued on: April 7, 2008.
Samuel Podberesky,
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement & Proceedings, U.S. 
Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. E8-7620 Filed 4-11-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
