03-18495. Notice of Request for Renewal of a Currently Approved Information Collection

AGENCY:

Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 this notice announces the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection.

DATES:

Comments on this notice must be received by September 19, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments [identified by DOT DMS Docket Number OST-2003-15660] by any of the following methods:

• Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
• Fax [phone].
• Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-001.
• Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and docket number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this rulemaking. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the Public Participation heading of the Supplementary Information section of this document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to http://dms.dot.gov including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading under Regulatory Notes.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Luther Dietrich, Office of the Secretary, Office of Aviation Analysis, X-53, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Air Carrier's Claim for Subsidy and Air Carrier's Report of Departures Flown in Scheduled service.

OMB Control Number: 2106-0044.

Type of Request: Extension for a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: In 14 CFR 271 of its Aviation Economic Regulations, the Department provided that subsidy to air carriers for providing essential air service will be paid to the carriers monthly, and that payments will vary according to the actual amount of service performed during the month. The reports of subsidized air carriers of essential air service performed on the Department's Forms 397, “Air Carrier's Report of Departures Flown in Scheduled Service”, and 398, “Air Carrier's Claim for Subsidy,” establish the fundamental basis for paying these air carriers on a timely basis. Typically, subsidized air carriers are small businesses and operate only aircraft of limited size over a limited geographical area. The collection permits subsidized air carriers to submit their monthly claims in a concise, orderly, easy-to-process form, without having to devise their own means of submitting support for these claims.

The collection involved here requests only information concerning the subsidy-eligible flights (which generally constitute only a small percentage of the carriers' total operations) of a small number of air carriers. The collection permits the Department to timely pay air carriers for providing essential air service to certain eligible communities that would not otherwise receive scheduled passenger air service.

Respondents: Small air carriers selected by the Department in docketed cases to provide subsidized essential air service.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 21.

Total Annual Responses: 816.

Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 4,176 hours.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper functioning of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 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.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Issued in Washington, DC on July 15, 2003.

Randall D. Bennett,

Director, Office of Aviation Analysis.