Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 34 / Tuesday, February 20, 2001 / Notices 10931

Telephone: (301) 725–3620. The request

to release airport property may be

reviewed in person at this same

location.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April

5, 2000, new authorizing legislation

became effective. That bill, the Wendell

H. Ford Aviation Investment and

Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR

21), Public Law 10–181 (Apr. 5, 2000;

114 Stat. 61), requires that a 30 day

public notice must be provided before

the Secretary may waive any condition

imposed on an interest in surplus

property.

The following is a brief overview of

the request:

County of San Diego requested the release

of two parcels of land, approximately four

acres, of airport property at Fallbrook

Community Airpark, Fallbrook, California,

from surplus property agreement obligations.

The purpose of the release is to permit the

sale of the property to San Diego County

Roads Division for non-aviation uses. San

Diego County Roads Division proposes to use

the property for widening the Mission Road

from two lanes to four lanes to improve the

traffic flow in the Fallbrook area. The net

proceeds will be utilized for airport

improvements.

Issued in Hawthorne, California, on

February 7, 2001.

Ellsworth Chan,

Acting Manager, Airports Division, WesternPacific Region.

[FR Doc. 01–4150 Filed 2–16–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Notice of Intent To Rule on Request To

Release Airport Property at the Shafter

Airport, Shafter, CA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Request to Release

Airport Property.

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to rule and

invites public comment on the release of

approximately 44.70 acres of land at

Shafter Airport, Shafter, California, from

all restrictions of the surplus property

agreement to facilitate an exchange for

approximately 30.34 acres of land

adjacent to the said airport. The land

being released will be used for

agricultural purposes.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before March 22, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this

application may be mailed or delivered

in triplicate to the FAA at the following

address: Federal Aviation

Administration, Airports Division,

15000 Aviation Blvd., Lawndale, CA

90261. In addition, one copy of any

comments submitted to the FAA must

be mailed or delivered to Mr. Herman

Ruddell, Airport Director, Shafter

Airport, at the following address: 201

Aviation Street, Shafter, CA 93263.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Ellsworth Chan, Manager, Safety &

Standards Branch, AWP–620, 15000

Aviation Blvd., Lawndale, CA 90261,

Telephone: (310) 725–3620. The request

to release airport property may be

reviewed in person at this same

location.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April

5, 2000, new authorizing legislation

became effective. That bill, the Wendell

H. Ford Aviation Investment and

Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR

21), Public Law 10–181 (Apr. 5, 2000;

114 Stat. 61), requires that a 30 day

public notice must be provided before

the Secretary may waive any condition

imposed on an interest in surplus

property.

The following is a brief overview of

the request:

Minter Field Airport District requested the

release of approximately 44.70 acres of

airport property at Shafter Airport, Shafter,

California, from surplus property agreement

obligations. The purpose of the release is to

permit the property to be exchanged for a

30.45 acres private parcel adjacent to the

airport. The land being released will be used

for agricultural purposes.

The fair market values for the two parcels are

approximately the same.

Issued in Hawthorne, California, on

February 7, 2001.

Ellsworth Chan,

Acting Manager, Airports Division, WesternPacific Region.

[FR Doc. 01–4151 Filed 2–16–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

High Density Traffic Airports; Slot

Allocation and Transfer Method

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Statement of policy.

SUMMARY: This action extends and

modifies the temporary policy issued on

November 11, 2000, regarding the

minimum slot usage requirement for

slots and slot exemptions at LaGuardia

Airport for the winter season. This

policy is extended through September

14, 2001. This extension coincides with

the effective period of the AIR–21 slot

exemption allocation as a result of the

lottery held on December 4, 2000. Also,

the FAA amends the policy to permit

the temporary turn-in of AIR–21 slot

exemptions for weekend frequencies

only. The extension of this policy will

continue to assist carriers in addressing

operational issues at LaGuardia Airport

during this period by allowing limited

flexibility of the slot usage requirement.

EFFECTIVE DATES: Effective May 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lorelei D. Peter, Office of the Chief

Counsel, AGC–230, Federal Aviation

Administration, 800 Independence

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591;

telephone number 202–267–3073.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Background

On November 17, 2000, the FAA

published in the Federal Register a

statement of policy addressing the slot

usage requirement at LaGuardia Airport

given the current operating environment

(65 FR 69601). This policy was

necessary to address the level of delay

that aircraft operating at LaGuardia were

experiencing as a result of the increased

number of operations pursuant to the

‘‘Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment

and Reform Act of the 21st Century’’

(‘‘AIR 21’’), enacted on April 5, 2000. As

a result of AIR–21, air carriers meeting

specified criteria could obtain new slot

exemptions at New York’s LaGuardia

Airport (LaGuardia) and John F.

Kennedy International Airport (JFK),

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport

(O’Hare) and Washington DC’s Ronald

Reagan Washington National Airport

(National). Subsequent to this

legislation, the Department of

Transportation (Department) issued

eight orders establishing procedures for

the processing of various applications.

The policy statement addressed all

operations at LaGuardia, including

those authorized under Order 2000–4–

11 (La Guardia—Exemptions for air

service to small and nonhub airports—

limited to aircraft with a seating

capacity of less than 71) and Order

2000–4–10 (LaGuardia—Exemptions for

new entrant and limited incumbent air

carriers).

As a result of the operational

environment at LaGuardia, the FAA

conducted a lottery of AIR–21 slot

exemptions on December 4, 2000.

Through this lottery, the FAA

reallocated 159 exemption slots among

the 13 participating carriers. (This is an

increase of approximately 15 percent

over pre-AIR–21 operations.) The slot

exemptions reallocated by the lottery

will remain in effect until September 15,

2001, when a permanent demand

10932 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 34 / Tuesday, February 20, 2001 / Notices

management policy for the airport will

be developed with the participation of

all interested parties and can be

implemented. Consequently, the FAA

believes that an extension to September

15, 2001, of the current usage policy at

LaGuardia is warranted. The agency

amends the current policy by permitting

the temporary turn-in of AIR–21

exemption slots for weekend

frequencies only. The FAA believes that

the reduction in operations at the

airport as a result of the lottery will

reduce the level of delays experienced

by all operators. An extension of this

policy will continue to allow carriers to

realistically schedule their operations

through this temporary allocation

period.

Statement of Policy

As a result of the additional

operations and the impact on the

operating environment at LaGuardia, the

FAA extends the temporary policy

concerning the slot usage requirement

for operations at LaGuardia until

September 15, 2001.

The FAA will permit carriers

operating slots at LaGuardia to

temporarily return to the FAA slots

issued under the authority of 14 CFR

part 93. The FAA modifies the current

policy to permit the temporary turn-in

of AIR–21 slot exemptions for weekend

frequencies only. The agency believes

that the reduction in operations as a

result of the lottery supports this

modification to the current policy.

Carriers that plan to return slots or

weekend slot exemptions must notify

the FAA Slot Administration Office in

advance and provide the slot

withdrawal number, frequency and

effective period of the return. Slots and

slot exemptions returned to the FAA

under this policy will not be allocated

to any other carrier during the effective

period and will revert automatically to

the operator at the expiration of the

period for which it was returned.

Carriers must contact the FAA Slot

Administration Office concerning the

date and frequency of restart-up should

dates change. A carrier returning

weekend slot exemptions under this

policy will not need to recertify under

Order 2000–4–10 and Order 2000–4–11

provided that all other certified

conditions remain valid.

The FAA will treat a slot or slot

exemption as used if the flight was

scheduled but canceled for operational

reasons and the slot would not

otherwise have been subject to

withdrawal. In the use or lose reports

submitted to the FAA, carriers should

indicate that flight was scheduled and,

if appropriate, was canceled due to

operational reasons. Carriers may report

a slot or slot exemption as operated only

if the flight was in fact operated. The

FAA advises carriers to retain records of

such cancellations should the FAA

request additional documentation

regarding the reason for the

cancellation.

This temporary policy on

nonoperation or return of slots and

weekend slot exemptions does not

apply to the use or lose provisions for

slots at other high density traffic

airports unless the operator can provide

clear and convincing evidence that a

flight cancellation at that airport was

directly related to the non-operation of

a slot at LaGuardia, as described in the

policy statement. This policy is not

intended to provide blanket relief to any

slot operator not meeting the minimum

usage requirement due to reasons other

than those discussed previously. It is

also not intended to establish a basis for

the FAA to routinely consider delays

and traffic management programs as

grounds for a usage waiver. Any waiver

of the slot usage requirement at other

high density airports for non-operation

of flights at LaGuardia not covered by

this policy will continue to be processed

in accordance with 14 CFR 93.227.

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 14,

2001.

James W. Whitlow,

Deputy Chief Counsel.

[FR Doc. 01–4139 Filed 2–16–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Noise Exposure Map Notice and

Receipt of Noise Computability

Program and Request for Review

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) announces its

determination that the noise exposure

maps submitted by Colorado Springs

Airport under the provisions of 49

U.S.C. 47503(a) and 14 CFR part 150 are

in compliance with applicable

requirements. The FAA also announces

that it is reviewing the proposed noise

compatibility program that was

submitted for Colorado Springs Airport

under part 150 in conjunction with the

noise exposure maps, and that this

program will be approved or

disapproved on or before August 7,

2001.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the

FAA’s determination on the Colorado

Springs Airport noise exposure maps

and the start of its review of the

associated noise compatibility program

is February 8, 2001. The public

comment period ends March 23, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dennis Ossenkop, FAA, Airports

Division, ANM–611, 1601 Lind Avenue,

S.W., Renton, Washington, 98055–4056.

Comments on the proposed noise

compatibility program should also be

submitted to the above office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice announces that the FAA finds

that the noise exposure maps for

Colorado Springs Airport are in

compliance with applicable

requirements of part 150, effective

February 1, 2001. Further, FAA is

reviewing a proposed noise

compatibility program for that airport

which will be approved or disapproved

on or before August 7, 2001. This notice

also announces the availability of this

program for public review and

comment.

Under 49 U.S.C. 47503(a), an airport

operator may submit to the FAA a noise

exposure map which meets applicable

regulations and which depicts

noncompatible land uses as of the date

of submission of such map, description

of projected aircraft operations, and the

ways in which such operations will

affect such map. 49 U.S.C. 47503(a)(1)

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 a noise exposure map that

has been found by FAA to be in

compliance with the requirements of

Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) part

150, promulgated pursuant to 49 U.S.C.

47503(a) may submit a noise

compatibility program for FAA approval

which sets forth the measures the

operator has taken or proposes for the

reduction of existing noncompatible

uses and for the prevention of the

introduction of additional

noncompatible uses.

The Director of Aviation for Colorado

Springs Airport submitted to the FAA

noise exposure maps, descriptions and

other documentation which were

produced during an airport Noise

Compatibility Study. It was requested

that the FAA review the noise exposure

maps, as described in 49 U.S.C. 47503.

It was also requested that the noise

mitigation measures be approved as a

noise compatibility program under 49

U.S.C. 47504.