Document ID: FAA-2010-0405-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Passenger Facility Charge Database System for Air Carrier Reporting
Posted Date: 2010-04-09T04:00Z

[Federal Register: April 9, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 68)]
[Notices]               
[Page 18255-18256]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09ap10-147]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2010]

 
Passenger Facility Charge Database System for Air Carrier 
Reporting

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
Notice of Availability to inform interested parties of the availability 
of the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) database system to report PFC 
quarterly report information. In accordance with 14 CFR part 158.63, 
the public agency approved to collect PFCs must provide quarterly PFC 
reports to air carriers collecting PFCs for the public agency and the 
FAA. In accordance with Sec.  158.65, each air carrier collecting PFCs 
for a public agency must provide quarterly reports to the public agency 
unless otherwise agreed to by the collecting air carrier and the public 
agency. The FAA has developed a national PFC database system in order 
to more easily track the PFC program on a nationwide basis. The PFC 
database system was developed in three phases. The first phase was a 
national internal database for FAA use. The second phase expanded the 
database to allow public agencies to enter and access the PFC quarterly 
reports for their airport(s). The third phase expands the system to 
provide database access to the air carriers. The first and second 
phases of the database are complete. The third phase will allow air 
carriers to enter PFC collection and remittance information directly 
into the PFC database on a monthly basis. Use of the PFC database is 
voluntary and is not the sole means of complying with sections 158.63 
and 158.65. However, as stated in 158.20(b), once the air carriers have 
access to the FAA's PFC database system, those air carriers and public 
agencies participating in the system will no longer be required to 
transmit quarterly reports to any interested party.

DATES: The system will be fully available to all users (FAA, public 
agencies, and air carriers) on June 21, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Johnson, Financial Analysis and 
Passenger Facility Charge Branch (APP-510), Room 619, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; 
telephone: (202) 267-5878, e-mail: 9-AWA-ARP-APP-PFC-Info@FAA.GOV.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PFC program is codified in Title 49 
United States Code (U.S.C.) Sec.  40117 and is implemented by 14 CFR 
part 158. The PFC program provides an important and independent source 
of financing for the needs of U.S. commercial service airports through 
an airport enplanement charge per passenger of $1, $2, $3, $4, or $4.50 
per trip segment up to a maximum of two segments on a one-way trip and 
four segments on a round trip. Air carriers collect and remit the PFC 
fees directly to an eligible public agency authorized by the FAA in 
accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements to impose a PFC 
at a commercial service airport(s) it controls.
    Under part 158, public agencies controlling commercial service 
airports can apply to the FAA for authority to impose and/or use a PFC 
to finance approved, eligible airport related projects. Section 158.3 
defines a public agency to be a state or any agency or one or more 
states: a municipality or other political subdivision of a state; an 
authority created by Federal, State, or local law; a tax-supported 
organization; or an Indian tribe or pueblo that controls a commercial 
service airport. A private entity controlling an airport participating 
in the Pilot Program for Private Ownership of Airports (49 U.S.C. 
47134) may also apply to impose and use a PFC.
    The FAA must issue a final decision approving or disapproving a PFC 
application, in whole or in part. Following the FAA's full or partial 
approval of an application to impose a PFC, the public agency must 
notify air carriers and foreign air carriers required to collect PFCs 
at its airport(s) of the FAA's approval, including the approved PFC 
level and dates of collection. Air carriers collect PFCs from their 
passengers in accordance with 158.45 or 158.47. Air carriers collecting 
PFCs are required by section 158.51 to remit the PFC revenue collected, 
less a prescribed handling fee, to the appropriate public agency on a 
monthly basis.
    Beginning in the year that PFC revenues are first collected by air 
carriers on behalf of a public agency, such public agencies approved 
for PFC collection are required by section 158.63 to provide quarterly 
reports to air carriers collecting PFC revenue for the public agency 
and the FAA.
    The quarterly report is designed to provide the air carriers and 
the FAA with sufficient information for oversight of PFC revenue. The 
public agency quarterly report must be provided on or before the last 
day of the calendar quarter or other period agreed to by the collecting 
carrier and public agency for which funds were collected.
    Similarly, each air carrier collecting PFCs for a public agency 
must file quarterly reports to the public agency, unless otherwise 
agreed to by the collecting air carrier and public agency. The air 
carrier's quarterly report provides an accounting of funds collected 
and funds remitted to each public agency.
    The air carrier's quarterly report is required to be filed on or 
before the last day of the calendar month following the calendar 
quarter, or other period as agreed to by the collecting carrier and 
public agency for which funds were collected.
    The FAA's PFC database has been designed to facilitate electronic 
filing and retrieval of the public agencies' and the air carriers' 
quarterly reports. This will allow both user groups timely access to 
the other party's reports and will facilitate standardized record 
keeping.
    The PFC database has been designed with two methods for air 
carriers to enter their quarterly report information. The first method 
is a manual data entry wherein the air carrier will select each airport 
and inputs each data element. The second method is an upload of the 
quarterly information into the database

[[Page 18256]]

via a pre-established format through an .xml interface.
    Public agencies may enter PFC remittance information into the 
database by either manual data entry or upload via a pre-established 
format through an .xml interface. The public agency data entry for 
projects is limited to manual entry wherein the public agency selects 
each appropriate project and inputs the data for that project.
    The FAA notes that approximately 93 percent of the public agencies 
approved to collect PFC participate in the PFC database system. Those 
public agencies and air carriers choosing to use the database will no 
longer be required to distribute their quarterly reports to any 
interested party in any other way beginning June 21, 2010.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 25, 2010.
Frank San Martin,
Manager, Airports Financial Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 2010-8124 Filed 4-8-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M