[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14515-14516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05334]



[[Page 14515]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0067]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of Renewed Approval of Information Collection: High Density 
Traffic Airports; Slot Allocation and Transfer Methods

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 
invites public comments about our intention to request approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew a currently approved 
information collection. The FAA collects information from U.S. and 
foreign air carriers holding a slot at Ronald Reagan Washington 
National Airport (DCA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 
and LaGuardia Airport (LGA); operating scheduled flights at Newark 
Liberty International Airport (EWR), Los Angeles International Airport 
(LAX), O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and San Francisco 
International Airport (SFO); and conducting unscheduled operations at 
DCA and LGA. The information collected is necessary to support the 
advance management of air traffic demand by the FAA Slot Administration 
in an effort to reduce potential delays. The FAA proposes renaming this 
information collection to ``FAA Runway Slot Administration and Schedule 
Analysis'' to more accurately reflect the collection of information 
related to multiple airports subject to different FAA regulatory and 
voluntary processes under this program.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 17, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001; 
telephone: (800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA 
Docket Number FAA-2021-0067 at the beginning of your comments. You may 
also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Gonabe, FAA Slot 
Administration, by email at: matthew.gonabe@faa.gov; phone: (609) 485-
9554.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Public Comments Invited: Public comment is invited on any aspect of 
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include 
your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0524.
    Title: High Density Traffic Airports; Slot Allocation and Transfer 
Methods.
    Form Numbers: There are no FAA forms associated with this 
collection.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: The FAA has implemented several initiatives to address 
air traffic congestion and delay at certain airports within the 
National Airspace System (NAS). DCA slot rules are established under 14 
CFR part 93, subparts K and S. The FAA has issued Orders limiting 
operations at JFK and LGA.\1\ These Orders resulted from increasing 
congestion and delays at the airports requiring the FAA to allocate 
arrival and departure slots at JFK and LGA. In addition, the FAA has 
designated EWR, ORD, SFO, and LAX as Level 2 schedule-facilitated 
airports under the IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG) now known as 
the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).\2\ At Level 2 airports, 
the FAA seeks the cooperation of all carriers planning operations, on a 
voluntary basis, to maintain close communications on runway schedules 
and facilitate adjustments, as needed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Operating Limitations at John F. Kennedy International 
Airport, 73 FR 3510 (Jan. 18, 2008), as most recently amended 85 FR 
58258 (Sep. 18, 2020); Operating Limitations at New York LaGuardia 
Airport, 71 FR 77854 (Dec. 27, 2006), as most recently amended 85 FR 
58255 (Sep. 18, 2020).
    \2\ Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for 
O'Hare International, John F. Kennedy International, and Newark 
Liberty International Airports for the Summer 2009 Scheduling 
Season, 73 FR 54659 (Sept. 22, 2008); Notice of Submission Deadline 
for Schedule Information for San Francisco International Airport for 
the Summer 2012 Scheduling Season, 76 FR 64163 (Oct. 17, 2011); 
Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for Los 
Angeles International Airport for the Summer 2015 Scheduling Season 
80 FR 12253 (Mar. 6, 2015); Notice of Change of Newark Liberty 
International Airport Designation, 81 FR 19861 (Apr. 6, 2016). The 
FAA reaffirmed the Level 2 designations by 85 FR 65134 (Oct. 14, 
2020). These designations remain effective until the FAA announces a 
change in the Federal Register.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At DCA, U.S. and foreign air carriers, including commuter 
operators, must notify the FAA of: (1) Written consent and requests for 
confirmation of slot transfers; (2) slots required to be returned and 
slots voluntarily returned; (3) requests to be included in a lottery 
for the permanent allocation of available slots; (4) reports on usage 
of slots on a bi-monthly basis; and (5) requests for slots in low-
demand hours or other temporary allocations. Operators must obtain a 
reservation from the FAA prior to conducting an unscheduled operation. 
At LGA, U.S. and foreign air carriers must notify the FAA of: (1) 
Written consent and requests for confirmation of slot transfers; (2) 
slots required to be returned and slots voluntarily returned; (3) 
requests to be included in a lottery for the permanent allocation of 
available slots; and (4) reports usage of slots on a bi-monthly basis. 
Carriers must also request and obtain a reservation from the FAA prior 
to conducting an unscheduled operation. At JFK, U.S. and foreign air 
carriers must notify the FAA of: (1) Written consent and requests for 
confirmation of slot transfers; (2) requests for seasonal allocation of 
historic and additional available slots; (3) reports on usage of slots 
on a seasonal basis; (4) the return of slots; and (5) changes to 
allocated slots. At EWR, LAX, ORD, and SFO, all carriers are asked to 
notify the FAA of their intended operating schedules during designated 
hours on a semiannual basis (for each winter and summer scheduling 
season) based on the IATA WASG Calendar of Coordination Activities and 
provide updates throughout the year when there are significant schedule 
changes.
    The FAA estimates that all information from carriers is submitted 
electronically from data stored in carrier scheduling databases. 
Requests for unscheduled flight reservations are submitted 
electronically via the internet. The FAA also proposes to re-name the 
collection to ``FAA Runway Slot Administration and Schedule Analysis'' 
to more accurately reflect the collection of information related to 
multiple airports subject to different FAA regulatory and voluntary 
processes.
    Respondents: 119 unique carriers; unknown number of carriers 
conducting unscheduled operations at LGA and DCA.
    Frequency: Information is collected as needed; some reporting on 
bimonthly or semiannual basis.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 6 minutes per slot 
transaction per respondent (i.e., transferor and

[[Page 14516]]

transferee); 6 minutes per slot return; 6 minutes per schedule update; 
6 minutes per request for inclusion in a lottery; 2 minutes per 
unscheduled slot request; 1.5 hours per schedule submission; and 1 hour 
per slot usage report.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 5602.6 hours.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 10, 2021.
Matthew S. Gonabe,
Program Specialist, FAA Slot Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-05334 Filed 3-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


