Airport Privatization Pilot Program; Public Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. 29088]

Airport Privatization Pilot Program; Public Meeting

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) DOT.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period for final application of

Stewart International Airport, Newburgh, New York; Notice of Public

Meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On April 8, 1999, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

published a notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 17208) seeking

information and comments from interested parties on the final

application by the State of New York for participation of Stewart

International Airport (SWF) in the Airport Privatization, Pilot

Program. The deadline for submitting comments was June 7, 1999. The

comment period has now been extended until June 28, 1999 to allow the

public more time to examine and comment on the final application. A

public meeting will be held on June 12, 1999.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 28, 1999. The public meeting

will be held on Saturday, June 12, 1999 from 11am to 3pm.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the auditorium of the

Little Britain Elementary School, 1160 Little Britain Road, New

Windsor, New York, (914) 496-2301. The SWF final application is

available for public review in the Federal Aviation Administration

Office of Chief Counsel, 800 Independence Avenue, SW--Room 915G.,

Washington, DC 20591. The New York State Department of Transportation

(NYSDOT), the airport sponsor, has also made as copy of the application

available at the following locations:

Town Clerk's Office, Town of New Windsor, Town Hall 555 Union

Avenue, New Windsor, NY 12553.

Town Clerk's Office, Town of Newburgh, Town Hall, 20-26 Union

Avenue, Newburgh, NY 12550.

Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand Street, City of Newburgh, Newburgh,

NY 12550.

Orange County Planning Department, 124 Main Street, Goshen, NY

10924.

Airport Director's Office, Airport Administration Building, 1035

First Street, Stewart International Airport, New Windsor, NY 12553.

Comments on the SWF final application must be delivered or mailed,

in quadruplicate, to the Federal Aviation Administration Office of

Chief Counsel (AGC-200), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC

20591, Attention: Docket No. 29088. All comments must be marked

``Docket No. 29088''. Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt

of their comments must include a preaddressed, stamped postcard on

which the following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No.

29088.'' The

[[Page 31676]]

postcard will be date stamped and returned to the commenter. Comments

on this Notice may be delivered to or examined in the aforementioned

FAA Office of Chief Counsel (Room 915G) on weekdays, except Federal

holidays, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kevin C. Willis, Compliance Officer, (202-267-8741), Airport Compliance

Division (AAS-400), Office of Airport Safety and Standards, Federal

Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC

20591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 149 of the Federal Aviation

Administration Reauthorization Act of 1996, Public Law 104-264 (October

9, 1996), added a new section 47134 to Title 49 of the U.S. Code,

Section 47134 authorizes the Secretary of Transportation and, through

delegation, the FAA Administrator to exempt a sponsor of a public use

airport that has received Federal assistance from certain Federal

requirements in connection with the privatization of the airport by

sale or lease to a private party. Specifically, the Administrator may

exempt the sponsor from all or part of the requirements to use airport

revenues for airport-related purposes, to pay back a portion of Federal

grants upon the sale of an airport, and to return airport property

deeded by the Federal Government upon transfer of the airport. Such

exemption will require approval of 65 percent of the air carriers

serving the airport and having 65 percent of the landed weight. The

Administrator is also authorized to exempt a private purchaser or

lessee from the requirement to use all airport revenues for airport-

related purposes, to the extent necessary to permit the purchaser or

lessee to earn compensation from the operations of the airport. No air

carrier approval is necessary for the latter exemption.

On January 10, 1999, NYSDOT filed a final application for SWF. The

FAA determined that the application is substantially complete. As part

of its review of the SWF final application on April 8, 1999, the FAA

requested comments and information submitted by interested parties

during the 60-day comment period ending June 7, 1999. This notice

extends the comment period until June 28, 1999.

The public meeting scheduled for June 12, 1999, will consist of two

parts. The first part of the meeting will accept public comments on the

SWF final application for inclusion in Docket No. 29088. The second

part of the meeting will be an informal session for the FAA to answer

general questions on the Airport Privatization Pilot Program and how

FAA requirements will apply to private airport operators generally.

Because the SWF final application is presently before the agency for a

decision, the FAA will not be able to discuss the application or the

pending agency decision. Issued in Washington, DC on June 7, 1999.

David L. Bennett,

Director, Office of Airport Safety and Standards.

[FR Doc. 99-14853 Filed 6-10-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-M