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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 179 (Monday, September 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56983-56984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22501]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket: DOT-OST-2013-0074]

Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review: Foreign 
Air Carrier Application for Statement of Authorization

AGENCY: Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary 
(OST).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments; Request OMB Clearance for 
extension of a currently approved information collection, Foreign Air 
Carrier Application for Statement of Authorization.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public 
Law 104-13, this notice announces that the Information Collection 
Request, abstracted below, is being forwarded to the Office of 
Management and Budget for extension of approval of currently approved 
ICR-2106-0036, Foreign Air Carrier Application for Statement of 
Authorization. Earlier, a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment 
period was published (78 FR 25781, May 2, 2013). The agency did not 
receive any comments to its previous notice.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by October 16, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darren Jaffe, (202) 366-2512, Office 
of International Aviation, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Room W86-441, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Comments: Comments should be sent to OMB at the address that 
appears below and should identify the associated OMB Approval Number 
2106-0035 and Docket DOT-OST-2013-0074.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Approval No. 2106-0035.
    Title: Foreign Air Carrier Application for Statement of 
Authorization.
    Form No.: Form OST 4540.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Foreign Air Carriers.
    Number of Respondents: Approximately 100.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2.25 hours per application.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,000 hours.
    Abstract: Applicants use Form OST 4540 to request statements of 
authorization to conduct numerous types of operations authorized under 
Title 14, CFR Part 212. The form requires basic information regarding 
the carrier(s) conducting the operation, the party filing the form, the 
operations being conducted, the number of third- and fourth-freedom 
flights conducted in the last twelve-month period, and certification of 
reciprocity from the carrier's homeland government. DOT analysts will 
use the information collected to determine if applications for fifth-
freedom operations meet the public interest requirements necessary to 
authorize such applications.
    Burden Statement: We estimate that the industry-wide total hour 
burden for this collection to be approximately 1,000 hours or 
approximately 2.25 hours per application. Conservatively, we estimate 
the compilation of background information will require 1.75 hours, and 
the completion and submission of OST Form 4540 will require thirty (30) 
minutes. Reporting the number of third- and fourth-freedom operations 
conducted by an applicant carrier will require collection of flight 
data, and detailed analysis to determine which flights conducted by the 
carrier are third- and fourth-freedom. Applicants should be able to use 
data collected for the Department's T-100 program to provide this 
information (under this program, carriers are required periodically to 
compile and report certain traffic data to the Department, as more 
fully described in the Docket referenced in footnote 1 below). The 
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) provide carriers with a 
computer program that allows them to compile and monitor, among other 
things, flight origin and destination data, to be used in making the 
carriers' T-100

[[Page 56984]]

submissions.\1\ We estimated that carriers will require 1.25 hours per 
application\2\ to compile and analyze the data necessary to disclose 
the number of third- and fourth-freedom flights conducted within the 
twelve-month period preceding the filing of an application.
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    \1\ The rule-making associated with the T-100 program can be 
found on the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at http://www.regulations.gov, in Docket DOT-OST-1998-4043. Information 
regarding burden hours is on file in the Office of Aviation Analysis 
(X-50).
    \2\ The Office of Aviation Analysis (X-50) estimated that small-
carriers would require 1 burden hour per report, and large carriers 
would require 3 burden hours per report to analyze and report T-100 
program data. Considering that the data required in this information 
collection can be derived from data already collected, we have taken 
an average of the estimated time required, and conservatively 
shortened the time by 45 minutes because no new data entry will be 
required.
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    Foreign carriers will also have to provide evidence that their 
homeland government will afford reciprocity to U.S. carriers seeking 
authority for the similar fifth-, sixth- and seventh-freedom 
operations. Carriers may cite certifications submitted by carriers from 
the same homeland if that homeland issued such certification within the 
preceding six-month period. Approximately 100 carriers from roughly 30 
distinct homelands use OST Form 4540 to apply for statements of 
authorization annually. We estimate that one foreign carrier from any 
given homeland will expend roughly 4 hours every six-months to obtain 
certification from its homeland governments.\3\ We have apportioned 30 
minutes to each application to account for the time required to obtain 
certifications from homeland governments.
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    \3\ Calculation: (4 burden hours per application) x (30 foreign 
homelands) x (2 requests per year) = 240 annual burden hours. 
Apportioning 240 annual burden hours equally among an average of 430 
applications annually = approximately 30 burden minutes per 
application.
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    We have no empirical data to indicate how much time is required for 
a person to complete OST Form 4540; however, anecdotal evidence reveals 
that respondents spend thirty (30) minutes or less completing the form 
and brief justification. In some cases, respondents spend a limited 
amount of time, less than ten (10) minutes, reviewing the form before 
sending it via facsimile or email to the Department. In the interest of 
providing a conservative estimate so as to not understate the burden 
hours, we estimate the hour burden for completing OST Form 4540 as 
thirty (30) minutes.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2013.
Patricia Lawton,
DOT PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-22501 Filed 9-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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