Reports, Form, and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Form, and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of The Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

[[Page 9040]]

U.S.C. Chapter 3501, et seq.), this notice announces that the

Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been

forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and

comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and

its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment

period soliciting comments was published on December 11, 1997 [62 FR

65307].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 25, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline

Information, K-25, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 7th Street,

SW, Room 3430, Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Title: Report of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space Part 250.

Type of Request: Extension of a Currently Approved Collection.

OMB Control Number: 2138-0018.

Form No.: 251.

Affected Entities: Large U.S. and foreign passenger air carriers.

Abstract: BTS Form 251 is a one-page report on the number of

passengers denied boarding voluntarily or involuntarily, whether the

bumped passengers were provided alternate transportation and/or

compensation, and the amount of the payment. The report allows the

Department to monitor the effectiveness of its oversales rule and take

enforcement action when necessary. The involuntary denied-boarding rate

has decreased over the years from 4.38 per 10,000 passengers in 1980 to

1.16 per 10,000 passengers for the nine months ended September 1997.

These statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of the ``volunteer''

provision, which has reduced the need for more intrusive regulation.

The rate of denied boarding can be examined as an air carrier

continuing fitness factor. This rate provides an insight into a

carrier's policy on treating over booked passengers and its compliance

disposition. A rapid sustained increase in the rate of denied boarding

often is an indicator of operational difficulty.

Because the rate of denied boarding is released quarterly,

travelers and travel agents can select carriers with low bumping

incidents when booking a trip. This information is made available to

the public through the Air Travel Consumer Report, which the Department

publishes. The report is sent to newspapers, magazines, and trade

journals.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 2,312 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20503, ATTN: DOT/BTS Desk Officer. Comments are invited

on: whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for

the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including

whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of

the Department's estimates of the burden of the proposed information

collections; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the

information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the

collections of information on respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or other forms of information

technology.

Comments to OMB regarding this information collection is best

assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of

publication.

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 17, 1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98-4474 Filed 2-20-98; 8:45 am]

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