Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 189 / Friday, September 30, 2005 / Notices 57351 

requirements on all slots and slot 

exemptions at JFK, LGA, and DCA 

beginning with the initial period 

following the hurricane through the 

winter scheduling season. 

This office received comments on 

your petition from JetBlue Airways 

Corp. and US Airways, Inc. JetBlue 

opposes the requested waiver 

principally on the ground that the 

request is ‘‘overly broad’’ because the 

proposed waiver would affect slots 

beyond those needed to serve airports 

directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina, 

such as New Orleans (MSY). JetBlue 

would support a more limited waiver 

concerning flights between such 

airports, and the slot-controlled airports. 

According to JetBlue, RAA has not make 

and adequate demonstration of need for 

a broader wavier, given the existing 

demand by JetBlue and others for scarce 

take-off and landing rights at DCA and 

LGA. JetBlue argues that underutilized 

slots should be returned to the FAA for 

redistribution under Part 93. 

US Airways supports the RAA 

petition and requests its own (identical) 

relief, specifically, a waiver of the slot 

usage requirements for all operable slots 

and slot exemptions at DCA and LGA 

through March 2006. US Airways recites 

many of the same facts described in the 

RAA petition, emphasizing actual and 

potential disruptions in the nation’s 

refining capacity, which drive up fuel 

costs. US Airways states that a waiver 

would give it ‘‘scheduling and 

operational flexibility * * * to 

rationalize its services as much as 

possible’’ in light of Katrina and related 

events. The carrier also points out that 

a variety of other federal agencies (such 

as EPA, the Department of Energy, and 

IRS) have waived various regulatory 

requirements to facilitate hurricane 

relief and recovery efforts. 

On September 19, 2005 we granted a 

request from American Airlines, Inc. to 

waive the slot usage requirements with 

respect to four specifically identified 

slots that the carrier was scheduled to 

use from September 1 through 

December 31, 2005 for flights from LGA 

to MSY. We noted that this requested 

waiver satisfied the criteria listed in 

section 93.227(j). 

We are receptive to specific requests 

for short-term waivers from the slot 

usage requirements, i.e., with respect to 

service from any slot-controlled airport 

to/from airports affected by the recent 

hurricanes. We recognize that slot 

holders may well have difficulty 

meeting the rule’s usage requirements 

when the extraordinary and devastating 

effects of the hurricane have interfered 

with their ability to sustain service in 

that region. 

The FAA stands ready to work with 

the affected carriers and their trade 

associations to address such situations. 

(Of course, if carriers are expecting to 

cancel operations for some or all of the 

winter season, please advise our slot 

program office as soon as possible since 

other carriers might be interested in 

utilizing the slots on a temporary basis, 

thus avoiding their potential withdrawal 

under the ‘‘use or lose’’ rule.) 

Because, however, many of the 

circumstances cited in your petition go 

to longstanding and fundamental 

obstacles to airline profitability, and are 

not specific to Katrina, I do not find that 

the criteria in section 93.227(j) have 

been satisfied. Therefore, I am denying 

your petition but without prejudice to 

your renewing your request on a more 

specific, limited basis. 

If you have further questions on this 

matter, please contact Lorelei Peter on 

my staff at 202–267–3134. 

Sincerely, 

Andrew B. Steinberg, 

Chief Counsel. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on September 

23, 2005. 

Gary A. Michel, 

Acting Assistant Chief Counsel for 

Regulations. 

[FR Doc. 05–19600 Filed 9–29–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Noise Exposure Map Notice, Laredo 

International Airport, Laredo, TX 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) announces its 

determination that the noise exposure 

maps submitted by the City of Laredo 

for Laredo International Airport under 

the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et. 

seq. (Aviation Safety and Noise 

Abatement Act) and 14 CFR part 150 are 

in compliance with applicable 

requirements. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the 

FAA’s determination on the noise 

exposure maps is September 22, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

Blackford, Federal Aviation 

Administration, Airports Division, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137–4298, telephone (817) 222–5607. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice announces that the FAA finds 

that the noise exposure maps submitted 

by the City of Laredo, Texas for Laredo 

International Airport are in compliance 

with applicable requirements of Part 

150, effective September 22, 2005. 

Under 49 U.S.C. 47503 of the Aviation 

Safety and Noise Abatement Act 

(hereinafter referred to as ‘‘the Act’’), an 

airport operator may submit to the FAA 

noise exposure maps which meet 

applicable regulations and which depict 

non-compatible land uses as of the date 

of submission of such maps, a 

description of projected aircraft 

operations, and the ways in which such 

operations will affect such maps. The 

Act requires such maps to be developed 

in consultation with interested and 

affected parties in the local community, 

government agencies, and persons using 

the airport. An airport operator who has 

submitted noise exposure maps that are 

found by FAA to be in compliance with 

the requirements of Federal Aviation 

Regulations (FAR) part 150, 

promulgated pursuant to the Act, may 

submit a noise compatibility program 

for FAA approval which sets forth the 

measures the operator has taken or 

proposes to take to reduce existing noncompatible uses and prevent the 

introduction of additional noncompatible uses. 

The FAA has completed its review of 

the noise exposure maps and 

accompanying documentation 

submitted by the City of Laredo. The 

documentation that constitutes the 

‘‘noise exposure maps’’ as defined in 

section 150.7 of Part 150 includes the 

following from the August 2005, FAR 

Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study: 

Exhibit 4.5, Year 2005 Existing 

Condition Noise Exposure Map; Exhibit 

5.2, Year 2010 Future Condition Noise 

Exposure Map; Appendix J maps 

consisting of Touch And Go/Overflight 

Flight Tracks Map, Departure Flight 

Tracks Map, and Arrival Flight Tracks 

Map; Table 4.4, 2005 Existing Condition 

Noise Exposure Estimates; Table 5.2, 

2010 Future Condition-Case 1 Noise 

Exposure Estimates. There are no 

Historic Resources within the DNL 65 

contour. The FAA has determined that 

these noise exposure maps and 

accompanying documentation are in 

compliance with applicable 

requirements. This determination is 

effective on September 22, 2005. 

FAA’s determination on an airport 

operator’s noise exposure maps is 

limited to a finding that the maps were 

developed in accordance with the 

procedures contained in appendix A of 

FAR part 150. Such determination does 

not constitute approval of the 

applicant’s data, information or plans, 

or a commitment to approve a noise 

compatibility program or to fund the 

57352 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 189 / Friday, September 30, 2005 / Notices 

implementation of that program. If 

questions arise concerning the precise 

relationship of specific properties to 

noise exposure contours depicted on a 

noise exposure map submitted under 

section 47503 of the Act, it should be 

noted that the FAA is not involved in 

any way in determining the relative 

locations of specific properties with 

regard to the depicted noise contours, or 

in interpreting the noise exposure maps 

to resolve questions concerning, for 

example, which properties should be 

covered by the provisions of section 

47506 of the Act. These functions are 

inseparable from the ultimate land use 

control and planning responsibilities of 

local government. These local 

responsibilities are not changed in any 

way under Part 150 or through FAA’s 

review of noise exposure maps. 

Therefore, the responsibility for the 

detailed overlaying of noise exposure 

contours onto the map depicting 

properties on the surface rests 

exclusively with the airport operator 

that submitted those maps, or with 

those public agencies and planning 

agencies with which consultation is 

required under section 47503 of the Act. 

The FAA has relied on the certification 

by the airport operator, under § 150.21 

of FAR part 150, that the statutorily 

required consultation has been 

accomplished. 

Copies of the full noise exposure map 

documentation and of the FAA’s 

evaluation of the maps are available for 

examination at the following locations: 

Federal Aviation Administration, 2601 

Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas; 

Laredo International Airport, 5210 Bob 

Bullock Loop, Laredo, Texas 78041. 

Questions may be directed to the 

individual named above under the 

heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, September 22, 

2005. 

Kelvin L. Solco, 

Manager, Airports Division. 

[FR Doc. 05–19596 Filed 9–29–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: 

Lafayette Regional Airport, Lafayette, 

LA 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice 

to advise the public that the FAA’s 

Record of Decision (ROD), resulting 

from an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) prepared by the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) for its 

I–49 Connector Highway Project (State 

Project No. 700–24–0073 and Federal 

Aid Project No. DE–0009 (802) through 

Lafeyette, Louisiana. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joyce M. Porter, Environmental 

Specialist, ASW–640D, Federal Aviation 

Administration, Southwest Regional 

Office, Fort Worth, Texas 76193–0640. 

Telephone (817) 222–5640. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

is making available a ROD addressing 

impacts to the Lafayette Regional 

Airport resulting from the FHWA’s 

selected alternative for its I–49 

Connector Highway project at Lafayette, 

Louisiana. The ROD documents the 

final Agency decisions regarding the 

proposed project’s impact upon 

Lafayette Regional Airport as described 

and analyzed in the EIS. The ROD is 

available for review during normal 

business hours at the following 

locations: FAA Southwest Regional 

Office, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137–4298 and at the 

Lafayette Regional Airport, 200 

Terminal Drive, #200, Lafayette, LA 

70508. 

Issued on: September 23, 2005. 

Kelvin L. Solco, 

Manager, Airports Division. 

[FR Doc. 05–19597 Filed 9–29–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Air Traffic Procedures Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice 

to advise the public that a meeting of 

the Federal Aviation Air Traffic 

Procedures Advisory Committee 

(ATPAC) will be held to review present 

air traffic control procedures and 

practices for standardization, 

clarification, and upgrading of 

terminology and procedures. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Monday, October 3, 2005 from 1 p.m. to 

4:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 4, 2005, 

from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and 

Wednesday, October 5, 2005, from 9 

a.m. to 12 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Federal Aviation Administration, 

Bessie Coleman Conference Center, 800 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20591. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Stephen P. Creamer, Executive Director, 

ATPAC, System Operations and Safety, 

800 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 

267–9205. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463; 5 U.S.C. App. 2), notice is hereby 

given of a meeting of the ATPAC to be 

held Monday, October 3, 2005 from 1 

p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 4, 

2005, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and 

Wednesday, October 5, 2005, from 9 

a.m. to 12 p.m. 

The agenda for this meeting will 

cover: A continuation of the 

Committee’s review of present air traffic 

control procedures and practices for 

standardization, clarification, and 

upgrading of terminology and 

procedures. It will also include: 

1. Approval of Minutes. 

2. Submission and Discussion of 

Areas of Concern. 

3. Discussion of Potential Safety 

Items. 

4. Report from Executive Director. 

5. Items of Interest. 

6. Discussion and agreement of 

location and dates for subsequent 

meetings. 

Attendance is open to the interested 

public but limited to space available. 

With the approval of the Chairperson, 

members of the public may present oral 

statements at the meeting. Persons 

desiring to attend and persons desiring 

to present oral statements should notify 

the person listed above not later than 

September 28, 2005. The next quarterly 

meeting of the FAA ATPAC is planned 

to be held from January 23–26, 2006, in 

San Diego, CA. 

Any member of the public may 

present a written statement to the 

Committee at any time at the address 

given above. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on September 

15, 2005. 

Stephen Creamer, 

Executive Director, Air Traffic Procedures 

Advisory Committee. 

[FR Doc. 05–19599 Filed 9–29–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M