Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/04/01/2014-07172/disclosure-of-seat-dimensions-to-facilitate-use-of-child-safety-seats-on-airplanes-during
Timestamp: 2016-08-24 23:23:48
Document Index: 285045862

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 121', 'art 121', '§ 121', 'art 121', 'art 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', 'art 121', 'art 121', 'art 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', 'art 121', '§ 121', 'art 11', '§ 11', 'art 121', 'art 121', 'art 121', 'art 121', 'art 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', '§ 121', 'art 117', '§ 121', '§ 121', 'art 121', '§ 110', '§ 121']

Federal Register | Disclosure of Seat Dimensions to Facilitate Use of Child Safety Seats on Airplanes During Passenger-Carrying Operations
Dates: Send comments on or before June 30, 2014.
-18223 (12 pages)
Document Number: 2014-07172
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-07172 Related Topics
Disclosure of Seat Dimensions to Facilitate Use of Child Safety Seats on Airplanes During Passenger-Carrying Operations (FAA Reauthorization) 3 actions from April 1st, 2014 to December 2014
Table 1—Assumptions
Table 2—Assumptions
In addition, section 412 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-95)
specifically required the FAA to conduct rulemaking “[T]o require each air carrier operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to post on the Internet Web site of the air carrier the maximum dimensions of a child safety seat that can be used on each aircraft operated by the air carrier to enable passengers to determine which child safety seats can be used on those aircraft.”
This rulemaking is within the scope of the authority in Public Law 112-95.
I. Overview of Proposed Rule Back to Top
Current regulations regarding the use of a child restraint system (CRS) on airplanes operating under part 121 are found in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 121.311. Under the provisions in part 121, no certificate holder
may prohibit a child from using an approved CRS when the caregiver
purchases a ticket for the child.
The FAA strongly encourages the use of an FAA-approved CRS on aircraft.
However, in a small number of cases, an approved CRS may not fit in a particular airplane seat because of the size of the CRS. Accordingly, the FAA has issued guidance to facilitate the use of a CRS on aircraft in situations when a caregiver purchased a ticket for the child but the approved CRS that the caregiver wishes to use does not fit in a particular seat on the aircraft.
Although the FAA has provided guidance to air carriers regarding how to accommodate a CRS that does not fit in a particular seat, this proposed rulemaking would give caregivers additional information on whether an FAA-approved CRS will fit on the airplane on which they expect to travel.
In addition, the FAA notes that this proposal does not require an air carrier to identify the specific airplane that it will use on a given flight. Finally, the FAA notes that while this rule requires air carriers to post certain information to their Web sites, it does not require an air carrier that does not have a Web site to establish a Web site for purposes of this rule.
Current requirements regarding the use of CRSs in part 121 operations are found in 14 CFR 121.311. Currently, § 121.311(c)(2) generally states that no air carrier may prohibit a child, if requested by the child's caregiver, from occupying a CRS furnished by the child's caregiver provided that the child holds a ticket for an approved seat or a seat is made available by the air carrier for the child's use, the child is accompanied by a caregiver and the CRS is appropriately labeled and secured. However, § 121.311(c)(3) permits air carriers to determine the most appropriate passenger seat location for a CRS based on safe operating practices. For example, if an approved CRS, for which a ticket has been purchased, does not fit in a particular seat on the airplane, existing § 121.311 permits an air carrier to identify the most appropriate alternate forward-facing passenger seat location, considering safe operating practices.
The FAA encourages the use of an approved CRS on aircraft and has committed to educate and inform air carriers, crewmembers and passengers regarding the use of a CRS on aircraft in order to increase CRS use on aircraft. Accordingly, the FAA provides information on its Web site for caregivers traveling with children and the use of a CRS on aircraft. The public information and guidance material is intended to be useful to caregivers in support of the agency's commitment regarding CRS use. The FAA has previously tried to address the issue of “CRS fit” in airplane seats. For example, on its Web site, the FAA states that a CRS with a maximum width of 16 inches should fit in most airplane seats.
The FAA has also provided guidance to air carriers regarding CRS use on aircraft and related regulations. Advisory Circular (AC) 120-87B, Use of Child Restraint Systems on Aircraft, is intended to serve as a resource during development, implementation, and revision of an air carrier's standard operating procedures and training programs regarding the use of CRSs. The AC provides information on placement of a CRS on aircraft that may be considered by air carriers as they develop policies based on safe operating practices establishing certain seat locations for a CRS on a specific aircraft. For example, AC 120-87B provides information for air carriers to consider regarding placement of a CRS in an aisle seat or in a seat forward or aft of an emergency exit row.
Further, the agency reiterates in AC 120-87B that no air carrier may prohibit a child from using an approved CRS when a caregiver purchases a ticket for that child. The FAA encourages air carriers to allow the use of an empty seat to accommodate a CRS; however, air carriers are not required to allow unticketed children to occupy an empty passenger seat, even if the child uses a CRS. Prohibiting a ticketed child from using a CRS, when there are seats on the aircraft in which the CRS could be safely used, would be inconsistent with § 121.311.
III. FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 Back to Top
Section 412 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-95) directs the FAA to initiate rulemaking “[T]o require each air carrier operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to post on the Internet Web site of the air carrier the maximum dimensions of a child safety seat that can be used on each aircraft operated by the air carrier to enable passengers to determine which child safety seats can be used on those aircraft.” Congress intended this rulemaking to “facilitate the use of child safety seats on aircraft” and “enable passengers to determine which child safety seats can be used on those aircraft.”
This proposal is responsive to the requirement for the FAA to initiate a rulemaking in Public Law 112-95.
IV. Discussion of the Proposal Back to Top
The purpose of this proposal is to make more information available to allow caregivers to make a determination regarding CRS fit prior to a flight. The agency proposes to require air carriers to publish on their Web sites the width of the widest passenger seat in each class of service for aircraft used in passenger-carrying operations. This proposed information disclosure requirement would supplement current regulations that allow the use of an approved CRS and FAA guidance to caregivers regarding CRS fit in airplane seats. This proposed requirement would only apply to part 121 air carriers conducting passenger-carrying operations because all-cargo operations have generally been excluded from part 121 requirements pertaining to passengers.
This proposal also responds to the requirement to initiate rulemaking in section 412 of Public Law 112-95. The FAA considered a number of alternative methods by which to implement the rulemaking requirements of section 412 of Public Law 112-95 and discusses each below. In considering each alternative, the FAA sought to address the intent of Congress, respond to the informational needs of a caregiver traveling with a child using a CRS, and ensure that the proposal does not unintentionally discourage the use of a CRS.
Airplane passenger seat dimensions: Although Public Law 112-95 refers to the maximum dimensions of child safety seats that can be used on each aircraft the operator uses, the FAA has proposed an alternate approach in order to implement the statute's goal to enable a passenger to determine which CRS can be used on an aircraft. The FAA does not believe that it is practical for each air carrier to provide the maximum dimensions of one or many CRSs the carrier does not possess or to which the carrier does not have ready access. In contrast, air carriers have ready access to the airplanes they operate and information regarding those aircraft. Therefore, the agency proposes to require air carriers to provide seat dimension data to fulfill the intent of the statutory requirement for rulemaking. Seat dimension data provides information equivalent to CRS dimension data that can be used to assist caregivers in making a determination as to whether a CRS will fit in a passenger seat on the aircraft on which they expect to travel.
Airplane passenger seat width for each class of service: Given that currently when a CRS does not fit within the seat for which a caregiver has purchased a ticket, the operator must accommodate the CRS use within the same class of service, the agency proposes to require seat dimension disclosure for each class of service (§ 121.311 and AC 120-87). This proposal also specifies that seat width information (the distance between the seat arm rests) must be provided for each class of service due to the potential variation in airplane seat widths among different classes of service and within a single class of service. Further, as discussed above, seat width is the predominant passenger seat dimension that limits CRS fit.
Width of the widest seat within each class of service: Based on the foregoing analysis, the FAA proposes to add a paragraph (k) to § 121.311 to require each part 121 air carrier to make available on its Web site the width of the widest passenger seat in each class of service for each airplane make, model, and series used in passenger-carrying operations. The FAA believes that disclosure of the width of the widest seat in each class of service will provide the information necessary for caregivers to better determine if the CRS they provide for their child will fit in the airplane on which they expect to travel and thus may encourage more widespread use of CRSs in air transportation.
Further, the agency expects that information regarding seat width will address the predominant limiting seat dimension. The provision of seat width for the widest seat in each class of service serves to avoid the unintended consequence of dissuading a caregiver to use a CRS and to limit the instances in which a caregiver expects to use a CRS but cannot, due to fit or the operator's safety determination.
As noted previously, it is the responsibility of the air carrier, and a regulatory requirement, to accommodate the CRS in another seat in the same class of service (§ 121.311(c)(2) and AC 120-87B). While knowing the width of the widest seat is valuable in a caregiver's decision-making process, as it indicates whether the CRS would fit in a single seat, the FAA notes that a CRS that has a base wider than the widest seat may still be accommodated on an airplane by raising armrests or taking other measures where possible.
Part 11 Amendment: The FAA has submitted a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection activities proposed in this rulemaking. Assuming OMB approves the information collection and assigns an OMB control number, the FAA will update the table in § 11.201(b) to display this control number.
V. Guidance Documents Back to Top
VI. Regulatory Notices and Analyses Back to Top
Changes to Federal regulations must undergo several economic analyses. First, Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 13563 direct that each Federal agency shall propose or adopt a regulation only upon a reasoned determination that the benefits of the intended regulation justify its costs. Second, the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (96) requires agencies to analyze the economic impact of regulatory changes on small entities. Third, the Trade Agreements Act (96) prohibits agencies from setting standards that create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. In developing U.S. standards, the Trade Agreements Act requires agencies to consider international standards and, where appropriate, that they be the basis of U.S. standards. Fourth, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4) requires agencies to prepare a written assessment of the costs, benefits, and other effects of proposed or final rules that include a Federal mandate likely to result in the expenditure by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more annually (adjusted for inflation with base year of 1995). This portion of the preamble summarizes the FAA's analysis of the economic impacts of this proposed rule.
Department of Transportation Order DOT 2100.5 prescribes policies and procedures for simplification, analysis, and review of regulations. If the expected cost impact is so minimal that a proposed or final rule does not warrant a full evaluation, this order permits that a statement to that effect and the basis for it to be included in the preamble if a full regulatory evaluation of the cost and benefits is not prepared. Such a determination has been made for this proposed rule. The reasoning for this determination follows.
The FAA estimates that children under the age of two represent one percent of all commercial passengers.
When travelling by air, caregivers for these children may purchase either one ticket (which requires the child to sit in the caregiver's lap) or two tickets (which allows a child to be securely restrained in a CRS). The agency does not have the exact count of passengers younger than two or whether those passengers arrived at their destination sitting in the lap of a caregiver or secured in an aircraft seat using either a CRS or a lap belt.
For child safety purposes, the FAA encourages (but does not require) caregivers to purchase a separate ticket for each child under the age of two so that the child can be securely restrained in a CRS. This guidance is based on the FAA's analysis that if caregivers are forced to purchase airline seats for children under age 2, the additional cost of an airline ticket will motivate some families to drive to their destination instead of fly. As background, in Section 522 of 103, Congress required the Secretary of Transportation to study the impact of mandating the use of CRSs for children under 2 years old on scheduled air carriers. The Secretary submitted a report of this study to Congress in 1995. The report estimated that, if a child restraint rule were imposed, approximately five infant lives would be saved aboard aircraft, and two major injuries and four minor injuries would be avoided over a 10-year period. The report also cautioned that this improvement would be offset by additional highway fatalities for airline passengers who chose to drive rather than purchase a seat for infants. Even if infant fares were only 25 percent of full fare, the report estimated that there would be diversion to cars and thus a net increase in fatalities over a 10-year period. The concern expressed in the Report to Congress was that mandating CRSs (which require a passenger seat) could increase airline travel costs to families with infants enough to cause a significant number to travel by automobile instead of by air. This, in turn, would expose the entire family to the higher risks of automobile travel and associated highway fatalities and injuries.
The FAA updated this report in December, 2011, and confirmed its conclusion.
Currently, air carriers are not required to disclose seat dimension information on their Web sites. It is believed that some caregivers choose not to travel with a CRS due to concern that the seat will not fit the particular equipment being flown. Congress directed the FAA to conduct rulemaking “[T]o require each air carrier operating under part 121, to post on the Internet Web site of the air carrier the maximum dimensions of a child safety seat that can be used to enable passengers to determine which child safety seats can be used on those aircraft.”See 95. Once implemented, this rule would require each part 121 air carrier that conducts passenger-carrying operations to post seat dimension information to their Web site (air carriers that do not have Web sites are excluded from this rule). This rule will benefit caregivers by making seat dimension information accessible, which in turn will allow them to determine if a particular CRS will fit in a seat of an aircraft. A caregiver may be inclined to purchase a separate ticket for a child knowing that the child can be secured in a CRS during flight.
The FAA reports there to be 81 part 121 air carriers;
however only 58
of these air carriers are impacted by this rule. Excluded from this rule's analysis are 16 supplemental cargo carriers; 5 air carriers that have not reported any passengers to the DOT Bureau of Transport Statistics (BTS) since at least October 2012 (4 of which primarily fly cargo but are certificated to fly passengers); 1 air carrier that has ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy; and 1 air carrier that does not have an internet Web site (air carriers that do not have Web sites are exempt from this rule). The FAA notes that while Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways hold a single operating certificate, for purposes of this analysis they will be treated as separate entities since separate Web sites are maintained.
To determine the cost of this rule, hours are estimated for each occupational job series
required to complete the task. The estimated hours are then multiplied by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) fully-burdened hourly wage rate for the corresponding occupational job series. Thus, the rule's total cost equals hours worked multiplied by hourly wages, summed across all part 121 air carriers affected by this rule. Additional detail on how this cost estimate is constructed follows.
As the basis for this rulemaking, the FAA used assumptions regarding job skills and labor hours from the regulatory analysis
for the DOT's recent “Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections”
rule. One provision of the DOT's rule required an air carrier to post on its Web site a tarmac delay plan and a customer commitment plan. The FAA believes that the skills and labor hours necessary to post seat dimension information to an air carrier's Web site are similar to those estimated for posting a tarmac delay plan and customer commitment plan. During the first year of the DOT rule's implementation, it was estimated that it would take a computer programmer and a supervisor/manager a total of 8 hours to post the customer commitment plan and tarmac delay plan to an air carrier's Web site. The FAA is using the DOT estimate as the foundation for the time required to perform the work required to comply with the seat dimension disclosure rule, if finalized as proposed.
To show a range of costs that may be incurred by air carriers due to this rulemaking, the FAA prepared a low-case and high-case estimate.
The variable that changes between the two cases is the assumption for base staff hours. In the low case it is assumed that a minimum of 8.0 base staff hours are required for an air carrier to comply with the rule whereas the high case assumes a minimum of 16.0 base staff hours. The assumption for wages is held constant and does not vary between the low case and high case. It is important to note that even in the high case, the rule is still expected to be minimal cost.
Of the 59 Web sites
included in this analysis, 53 have a dedicated link to information regarding fleet specifications and 6 (3 belonging to scheduled air carriers and 3 belonging to nonscheduled air carriers) do not. The count of make, model, and series of aircraft operated by any one air carrier ranges from one to seventeen.
Staff Hours: There is only one component for staff hours in the low and high case during the follow-on years of the rulemaking. For the low case, it is estimated that each of the air carriers will require 4 staff hours annually for posting revised data. In the high case, the estimated hours for the low case are doubled, for a total of 8 staff hours per year. Management Hours: Management hours required for oversight during years 2 through 10 is estimated to be one hour per year. This estimate is the same for both the low and high case.
Table 1—Assumptions Back to Top
Does the air carrier's pre-mandate web layout have a link to fleet?
Mgmt. hours
[Hours required per air carrier to implement and update web site]
The total cost to air carriers for compliance with this rule is the sum of compensation
to staff and management for hours worked. To determine compensation for performance of this work, BLS data are used. Based on BLS job titles,
it is assumed that staff work is performed by Database and System Administrators and Network Architects (BLS Job Series 15-1140), and manager oversight is performed by Computer and Information Systems Managers (BLS Job Series 11-3021).
Table 2—Assumptions Back to Top
NAICS**
[Hourly wage and benefits compensation*]
* Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics April 2012 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey (released in May 2013) (http:/stat.bls.gov/oes/home.htm).
** North American Industry Classification System—U.S. Census Bureau.
*** Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics News Release dated June 12, 2013 “Employer Costs for Employee Compensation—March 2013” Page 3—Table A. Hourly wage rates are 70.3 percent of total hourly compensation. (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_06122013.pdf).
481100Scheduled Air Transportation
Database and System Administrators and Network Architects
481200Nonscheduled Air Transportation
The Small Business Administration (SBA) small entity size standard for air carriers is 1,500 employees or less. Of the 58 part 121 air carriers analyzed for this rule, 25 are classified as large entities and 20 as small entities.
Employment statistics for the 13 remaining air carriers are not available; however, for purposes of the regulatory flexibility analysis, it is assumed that these 13 air carriers are small entities (for a total of 33 small entities). Since a majority of the air carriers analyzed for this rule are classified as small entities, the rule is expected to impact a substantial number of small entities.
For this regulatory flexibility analysis, calendar year (CY) 2012 operating revenues
were compared to the estimated costs during year 1 of the rule. Of the 33 air carriers considered to be small entities, operating revenue data were only available for 23 of them. For the 23 air carriers reporting financial data to BTS, the estimated cost of this rule was no greater than .03 percent of any carrier's CY 2012 operating revenues. The FAA believes a compliance cost of .03 percent relative to annual revenue is not a significant economic impact.
This action contains the following proposed new information collection requirements. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)), the FAA has submitted these proposed information collection amendments to OMB for its review.
Annual Burden Estimate: All of the costs accounted for in the economic analysis for this rulemaking relate to the information collection burden. A summary of the annual burden estimate for the low case and the high case expected to result from this proposal for years 1, 2, and 3 by carrier type (scheduled and nonscheduled) is provided in the tables below.
The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (96), as amended by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (103), prohibits Federal agencies from establishing standards or engaging in related activities that create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. Pursuant to these Acts, the establishment of standards is not considered an unnecessary obstacle to the foreign commerce of the United States, so long as the standard has a legitimate domestic objective, such as the protection of safety, and does not operate in a manner that excludes imports that meet this objective. The statute also requires consideration of international standards and, where appropriate, that they be the basis for U.S. standards. The FAA has assessed the potential effect of this proposed rule and has determined that it would have little or no effect on international trade.
VII. Executive Order Determinations Back to Top
VIII. Additional Information Back to Top
3. Accessing the Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/.
2.Amend § 121.311 by adding a new paragraph (k) to read as follows: § 121.311 Seats, safety belts, and shoulder harnesses.
3.Amend § 121.583 by revising paragraph (a) introductory text to read as follows: § 121.583 Carriage of persons without compliance with the passenger-carrying requirements of this part.
(a) When authorized by the certificate holder, the following persons, but no others, may be carried aboard an airplane without complying with the passenger-carrying airplane requirements in §§ 121.309(f), 121.310, 121.311(k), 121.391, 121.571, and 121.587; the passenger-carrying operation requirements in part 117 and §§ 121.157(c) and 121.291; and the requirements pertaining to passengers in §§ 121.285, 121.313(f), 121.317, 121.547, and 121.573:
2. Section 412 of Public Law 112-95 uses the term “child safety seat.” However, the FAA uses the term “child restraint system” to describe an approved seat or device used to restrain children on aircraft. Thus, for consistency with existing FAA regulations, this proposal uses the term child restraint system (CRS), rather than child safety seat.
3. The FAA notes that Public Law 112-95 uses the term “air carrier.” FAA regulations use terms such as “certificate holders”, “operators”, and “air carriers” to describe a person who undertakes directly by lease, or other arrangement, to engage in air transportation. Thus, for consistency with existing FAA regulations, this proposal uses the term “air carrier” to refer to these persons.
4. Section 121.311 uses the term “parent, guardian, or designated attendant” to refer to the person traveling with, and providing care for, the child. For ease of reference the FAA has used “caregiver” throughout this document to refer to these persons.
5. See http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/ (visited December 6, 2013).
6. Advisory Circular (AC) 120-87B, Use of Child Restraint Systems on Aircraft (September 17, 2010) is available at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/388616.
Information For Operators (InFO) 11007 Regulatory Requirements Regarding Accommodation of Child Restraint Systems—Update (March 10, 2011) is available at http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info/all_infos/.
7. http://www.faa.gov/passengers/media/childsafety.pdf (visited December 6, 2013).
8. H. R. Rep. No. 112-381 (2012) at 80 and 216 (Conf. Rep.).
9. Part 121 passenger-carrying operations are defined in § 110.2 to mean “any aircraft operation carrying any person, unless the only persons on the aircraft are those identified in §§ 121.583(a) or 135.85 of this chapter, as applicable. An aircraft used in a passenger-carrying operation may also carry cargo or mail in addition to passengers.”
10. Child Passenger Safety Forum, National Transportation Safety Board, December 9, 2010, Summary Report at page 3.
11. See 70 FR 50266, Aug. 26, 2005. A copy of the Report to Congress has been placed in the docket.
12. “Update of Safety Benefits & Tradeoffs Related to Requiring the Use of Child Restraint Systems on Aircraft for Children Less Than Two Years of Age” December, 2011. http://www.dot.gov/faac/report/update-safety-benefits-tradeoffs-related.
13. FAA data from Q3, FY 2012.
14. Although only 58 carriers are impacted by this rule, a total of 59 Web sites are affected. While Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways share a single operating certificate, they continue to maintain separate Web sites for ticket sales.
16. Final Regulatory Analysis, Consumer Rulemaking: Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections II at p. 43. This document can be found in Docket No. DOT-OST-2010-0140 or at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=DOT-OST-2010-0140-2046.
21. As reported in the April 2012 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey.
22. Based on Form 41 Schedule P10 Statistics and air carrier Web sites.
23. Based on Department of Transportation Statistics Form 41 and 298C Financial Data.