[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 7213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4384]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
14 CFR Part 93
[Docket No. 28473]
High Density Traffic Airports; Slot Allocation and Transfer
Method
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Statement of policy.
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SUMMARY: This policy statement is necessary to address the impact of
airport closings and slow-downs upon slot utilization requirements due
to the severe winter storm that affected several High Density Rule
Traffic airports during the period January 7 through January 12, 1996.
EFFECTIVE DATE: February 27, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia R. Lane, Manager, Air Traffic Rules and Airspace Law Branch,
AGC-230, Regulations Division, Office of the Chief Counsel, 800
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-
3491.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On August 18, 1992, the FAA published in the Federal Register (57
FR 37308), an amendment to the minimum slot usage requirement of
Sec. 93.227(a) of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 93.227(a)).
This amendment increased the minimum slot usage percentage from 65
percent to 80 percent, effective January 1, 1993. A slot that is not
used or operated a minimum of 80 percent of the time within the
bimonthly reporting period is subject to withdrawal by the FAA.
From January 7 through 12, 1996, several airports, including three
of the High Density Traffic airports, were forced to close or
significantly slow down operations because of severe weather conditions
along the east coast of the United States. Due to the airport closings
and slow downs, many air carriers and commuters were unable to operate
their slots. Many of the carriers have expressed concerns that they
will not be able to reach the 80 percent minimum usage requirement due
to their inability to operate their slots during those 6 days.
Even though the 80 percent minimum usage requirement takes various
adverse factors into account, such as occasional mechanical problems
and bad weather, the blizzard that forced the closure and slow down of
operations of the airports was an extraordinary weather system of great
intensity and duration and should not be considered as a normal bad
weather occurrence. The FAA has decided, based on the extreme adverse
weather, that operators should not be penalized if they are unable to
reach the 80 percent minimum usage requirement due to the 6-day airport
closure/slow-down.
This document announces FAA's policy that will allow slot holders
and operators to report the slots as being used for all 6 days. In this
way, no operator will be in jeopardy of losing a slot merely because
the airport was closed or operations were significantly reduced.
Statement of Policy
When an operator submits its bi-monthly use-or-lose report, it may
designate any slot scheduled for operation at a High Density Traffic
airport from January 7 through January 12, 1996, as operated. The FAA's
Office of Chief Counsel, Slot Administration Office will verify that
the submitted slot was scheduled, and the FAA will treat as used any
slot that the holder-of-record or operator-of-record was schedule to
operate over the specified 6 day period.
Issued in Washington, DC on February 21, 1996.
Nicholas G. Garaufis,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 96-4384 Filed 2-26-96; 8:45 am]
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