### 65769 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 205 / Monday, October 24, 2011 / Notices

• Mail: Address your comments to the Office of Regulations, Social Security Administration, 107 Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235–6401. Comments are available for public viewing on the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov or in person, during regular business hours, by arranging with the contact person identified below.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Mariangela Rosa, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235–6401, 1–877–794–7395 or e-mail SSA.504@ssa.gov. For information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our national toll-free number, 1–800–772– 1213 or TTY 1–800–325–0778, or visit our Internet site, Social Security Online,
at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.

Dated: October 17, 2011. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security
[FR Doc. 2011–27353 Filed 10–21–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4191–02–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Office of the Secretary**

**Application of Friendship Airways, Inc. d/b/a Yellow Air Taxi for Commuter**  **Authority**

**AGENCY :**  Department of Transportation.

**ACTION :**  Notice of Order to Show Cause (Order 2011–10–9), Docket DOT–OST–
2005–21533.

**SUMMARY :**  The Department of Transportation is directing all interested persons to show cause why it should revoke the Commuter Air Carrier Authorization issued to Friendship Airways, Inc. d/b/a Yellow Air Taxi and deny its application to resume commuter operations, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 40109(f) and 14 CFR part 298.

**DATES :**  Persons wishing to file objections should do so no later than November 1, 2011.

**ADDRESSES :**  Objections and answers to objections should be filed in Docket DOT–OST–2005–21533 and addressed to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, (M–30, Room W12– 140), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590, and should be served upon the parties listed in Attachment A to the order.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Catherine J. O’Toole, Air Carrier Fitness Division (X–56, Room W86–489), U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366–9721.

Dated: October 18, 2011. Susan L. Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011–27455 Filed 10–21–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE P**

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Federal Aviation Administration**

**Airport Improvement Program: Modifications to Benefit Cost Analysis**  **(BCA) Threshold**

**AGENCY :**  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); DOT.

**ACTION :**  Notice of changes; comments and responses.

**SUMMARY :**  This document announces the publication of the final policy changes to the Federal Aviation Administration’s policy requiring a benefit cost analysis (BCA) for capacity projects funded by Airport Improvement Program (AIP) discretionary funds. On December 16, 2010, the FAA issued a Notice of Availability of Draft Guidance and Request for Comments with regard to the modification of its policy requiring benefit cost analyses (BCA) for capacity projects, which was published in the Federal Register. (78 FR 78798–02, December 16, 2010). The FAA now is (1) Issuing the final policy modifying the threshold at which BCAs are required from $5 million to $10 million in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Discretionary funds, and (2) responding to comments requested in the Notice on December 16, 2010.

**DATES :**  Effective date of the modified policy October 24, 2011.

**ADDRESSES :**  Copies of the final guidance to begin the implementation of the policy for conducting BCAs can be obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Airport Planning and Programming, Airports Financial Assistance Division (APP– 500), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591. An electronic copy of the guidance will be posted on the FAA’s Airport’s Division Web site at http://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/ bc

_analysis within 7 days of publication of this notice.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Frank San Martin, Manager, Financial Assistance Division (APP–500), Office of Airport Planning and Programming, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, (202) 267–3831.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  A. Background Policy History

In 1994, the FAA established its policy on Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) requirements for airport capacity projects. Factors leading to these requirements included:

1. The need to improve the effectiveness of federal airport infrastructure investments in light of a decline in federal AIP budgets;

2. Issuance of Executive Order No. 12893, ‘‘Principles for Federal Infrastructure Investments,’’ 59 FR 4233, Jan. 26, 1994;

3. Guidance from Congress citing the need for economic airport investment criteria; and

4. Statutory language from 1994 included in Title 49 U.S.C. 47115 (d) specifying that, in selecting projects for discretionary grants to preserve and enhance capacity at airports, the Secretary shall consider the benefits and costs of the projects.

The FAA implemented BCA requirements for capacity projects at all categories of airports in order to limit the FAA’s risks when investing large amounts of discretionary funds. The FAA uses the conclusions reached in the BCA review to make policy and funding decisions on possible future federal investments.

In 1997, a new FAA policy transferred responsibility for preparing BCAs from the FAA to the sponsor. In addition, the policy lowered the projected cost threshold from $10 million in AIP discretionary funds (established in 1994) to $5 million.

The $5 million threshold change was made policy in 1997 and formalized in
a 1999 Federal Register notice, Federal Aviation Administration Policy and Final Guidance Regarding Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) on Airport Capacity Projects for FAA Decisions on Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Discretionary Grants and Letters of Intent (LOI), 64 FR 70107 (Dec. 15, 1999).

Since 1997, sponsors have been required to conduct BCAs for capacity projects for which more than $5 million in AIP discretionary funding will be requested. In developing the new draft guidance increasing the threshold, the FAA reviewed the reasons for lowering the BCA threshold amount in 1997 and concluded that those reasons do not present sufficient basis to warrant maintaining the $5 million level threshold today.

The FAA has gained valuable experience assessing the implementation of the policy and the need to further clarify the threshold