2023-20416

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: • the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document • the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to • the agency docket number / agency internal file number • the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration • 14 CFR Part 93 ( printed page 64793) AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Limited waiver of the slot usage requirement. SUMMARY: The FAA announces a limited, conditional waiver of the minimum usage requirement that applies to Operating Authorizations or “slots” at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) due to post-pandemic effects on Air Traffic Controller (ATC) staffing at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility (N90). In addition, the FAA is announcing a limited policy for prioritizing returned operations at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) due to post-pandemic effects on ATC staffing at N90 for purposes of establishing a carrier's operational baseline in the next corresponding season. DATES: This action is effective September 20, 2023. ADDRESSES: Requests may be submitted by mail to the Slot Administration Office, System Operations Services, AJR-0, Room 300W, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591, or by email to: 7-awa-slotadmin@faa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning this notice contact: Al Meilus, Capacity and Slot Analysis, FAA ATO System Operations Services, AJR-G5, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone 202-267-2822; email al.meilus@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The New York Terminal Radar Approach Control facility (N90) provides ATC services to overhead flights in the Northeast corridor and to the New York City area airports, including JFK, LGA, and EWR. The airspace complexity resulting from the close proximity of the major commercial airports serving the New York City region is a significant contributing factor to delays at JFK, LGA, and EWR. Against this challenging backdrop, N90 is also facing staffing shortfalls that are impacting its ability to efficiently manage the volume of air traffic in this congested airspace. The FAA has made it a top priority to address these capacity constraints, including by dedicating significant resources to training a new air traffic controller workforce, and these efforts remain ongoing. In addition, based on FAA observations of air carrier operations and recent discussions with industry, there are likely other contributing factors, including air carrier staffing issues on the ground. With demand for air travel at a record high, additional measures are necessary to ensure that the FAA is able to provide expeditious services to aircraft operators and their passengers that traverse this airspace during this time of transition. Early carrier schedules/discussions indicate an increase in operations after October 29, 2023, through most of the winter 2023/2024 scheduling season and for all of the summer 2024 scheduling season. This being the case, the FAA expects increased delays and cancellations in the New York region to exceed those experienced over winter 2022/2023 and summer 2023 if a waiver similar to the one in effect for summer 2023 is not in place for the winter 2023/2024 and summer 2024 scheduling season to allow carriers to reduce schedules without penalties for non-use of slots or previously approved operating times. Reducing schedules will improve the alignment between scheduled operations and actual o…

Fonte: Federal Register (federalregister.gov). Texto original em inglês. Conteúdo sanitizado por segurança.