[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 38624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15655]



[[Page 38624]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. OST 98-3304]


Requirement That Foreign Air Carriers Amend Plans To Address the 
Needs of Families of Passengers Involved in Aircraft Accidents

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: This is to advise foreign air carriers that the Wendell H. 
Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21) 
(Pub. L. 106-181; 114 Stat. 61; April 5, 2000) amends 49 U.S.C. 
41313(c) to require, among other things, that foreign air carriers 
submit to the Department and the National Transportation Safety Board 
additional assurances for their respective plans to address the needs 
of families of passengers involved in aircraft accidents. The content 
and filing requirements for the update to the plans applicable to 
foreign air carriers are set forth in Title IV, section 403, of AIR-21.
    The additional assurances required to be submitted are described in 
section 403(a)(1) of AIR-21. Under the section, foreign air carriers 
must submit their updated plans to the Department and the NTSB within 
180 days of the statute's enactment. Since AIR-21 was signed into law 
on April 5, 2000, updated plans are due to be filed not later than 
Monday, October 2, 2000.
    We note that the Department has exempted from the requirements of 
section 41313 those foreign carriers that currently hold, or may 
subsequently receive, Department authority to conduct operations in 
foreign air transportation using only small aircraft. (Order 98-1-31, 
issued February 3, 1998.) For purposes of the exemption, small aircraft 
are those designed to have a maximum passenger capacity of not more 
than 60 seats or a maximum payload capacity of not more than 18,000 
pounds. Unless a foreign carrier falls within the above exemption, the 
requirements of section 41313 apply to all foreign carriers, including 
those holding only all-cargo authority.
    Each foreign carrier, except those exempted, should submit its plan 
in its entirety, that is, the plan as it exists with the new assurances 
as set forth in AIR-21. We expect each affected foreign carrier to give 
a high priority to the timely preparation and submission of its updated 
plan and meet the 180-day deadline for submission of the plan required 
by AIR-21. We remind each foreign carrier that while it may, if it 
chooses, contract with an outside source to act as a point of contact 
and provide services covered in the submitted plan in the event of an 
accident, in such a situation full responsibility for complying with 
the provisions of the law remains with the foreign carrier. We would 
also like to take this opportunity to request, on behalf of the NTSB, 
that each foreign carrier provide the NTSB an updated 24-hour telephone 
number for its operations center for use in the event of an emergency, 
and that the number be updated with the NTSB in the future as 
necessary.

DATES: Updated plans are due to be filed not later than Monday, October 
2, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Plans should be submitted to the Department and the NTSB at 
the following addresses:

Dockets--Docket OST 98-3304, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 
Seventh Street SW., Room PL 401, Washington, DC 20590;
Erik Grosof, Office of Family Affairs, National Transportation Safety 
Board, 490 L'Enfant Plaza East, SW., Washington, DC 20594.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the content of 
the plans may be addressed to Erik Grosof, Office of Family Affairs, 
NTSB, at (202) 314-6189. Questions concerning the applicability of the 
requirements of section 41313 to a particular foreign air carrier 
should be addressed to George Wellington, Chief, Foreign Air Carrier 
Licensing Division, Office of International Aviation, DOT, at (202) 
366-2391.
    Thank you for your cooperation on this important issue.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2000.
Samuel Podberesky,
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings.
[FR Doc. 00-15655 Filed 6-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P