Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Part 249 Preservation of Air Carrier Records

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Part

249 Preservation of Air Carrier Records

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public

Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the

general public, industry and other Federal Agencies to comment on the

continuing need for and usefulness of DOT requiring certificated air

carriers to preserve accounting records, consumer complaint letters,

reservation reports and records, system reports of aircraft movements,

etc.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by March 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline

Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics,

Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590-0001, FAX NO. (202) 366-3383, or EMAIL [email protected].

COMMENTS: Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-0006 and submit a

duplicate copy to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the

Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with

those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following

statement is made: Comments on OMB # 2138-0006. The postcard will be

date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline

Information, K-25, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval No. 2138-0006

Title: Preservation of Air Carrier Records Part 249.

[[Page 553]]

Form No.: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved recordkeeping

requirement:

Respondents: Certificated air carriers and public charter

operators.

Number of Respondents: 130 certificated air carriers 350 public

charter operators.

Total Annual Burden: 688 hours.

Needs and Uses: Part 249 requires the retention of such records as

general and subsidiary ledgers, journals and journal vouchers, voucher

distribution registers, accounts receivable and payable journals and

ledgers, subsidy records documenting underlying financial and

statistical reports to the Department, funds reports, consumer records,

sales reports, auditors' and flight coupons, air waybills, etc.

Depending on the nature of the document, it may be retained for a

period of 30 days to 3 years. Public charter operators and overseas

military personnel charter operators must retain documents which

evidence or reflect deposits made by each charter participant and

commissions received by, paid to, or deducted by travel agents, and all

statements, invoices, bills and receipts from suppliers or furnishers

of goods and services in connection with the tour or charter. These

records are retained for 6 months after completion of the charter

program.

Not only is it imperative that carriers and charter operators

retain source documentation, but it is critical that we ensure that DOT

has access to these records. Given DOT's established information needs

for such reports, the underlying support documentation must be retained

for a reasonable period of time. Absent the retention requirements, the

documentary support for such reports may or may not exist for audit/

validation purposes and the relevance and usefulness of carrier

submissions would be impaired, since the data could not be verified to

the source on a test basis.

Donald W. Bright,

Acting Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of

Transportation Statistics.

[FR Doc. 00-161 Filed 1-4-00; 8:45 am]

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