01-15697. Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality Performance

AGENCY:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) , this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of currently approved collections. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on September 22, 2000 (65 FR 57426).

DATES:

Written comments should be submitted by July 23, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number [phone], Fax Number [phone] or EMAIL [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Title: Airline Service Quality Performance.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

OMB Control Number: 2138-0041.

Forms: Part 234.

Affected Public: U.S. air carriers that provide scheduled passenger service and account for at least one percent of U.S. domestic schedule passenger revenues.

Consumer Information

Part 234 gives air travelers information concerning their chances of on-time flights and the rate of mishandled baggage by the eleven largest scheduled domestic passenger carriers and Aloha Airlines. This information is made available to the public in the Air Travel Consumer Report and on the web at http:www.dot.gov/​airconsumer. The Air Travel Consumer Report is also sent to newspapers, magazines, and trade journals. Other on-time data is available on the web at http:www.bts.gov.

Reducing and Identifying Traffic Delays

The Federal Aviation Administrations uses part 234 data to pinpoint and analyze air traffic delays. Wheels-up and wheels-down times are used in conjunction with departure and arrival times to show the extent of ground delays. Actual elapsed flight time, wheels-down minus wheels-up time, is compared to scheduled elapsed flight time to identify airborne delays. The reporting of aircraft tail number allows the FAA to track an aircraft through the air network, which enables the FAA to study the ripple effects of delays at hub airports. The data can be analyzed for airport design changes, new equipment purchases, the planning of new runways or airports based on current and projected airport delays, and traffic levels.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 1,728 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention BTS Desk Officer.

Comments

Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department concerning consumer protection. Comments should address whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2001.

Donald W. Bright,

Assistant Director, Office of Airline Information.