Saturday, May 31, 2008

Model Contingency Plans To Deal with Airline Delays

[Federal Register: May 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 105)]
[Notices]
[Page 31182-31183]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my08-107]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2007-0108]


National Task Force To Develop Model Contingency Plans To Deal
With Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground Delays

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation
(DOT).

ACTION: Notice of meeting of advisory committee.

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

SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the National Task Force to
Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy Airline On-Board
Ground Delays.

DATES: The Task Force meeting is scheduled for June 16, 2008, from 8:30
a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: The Task Force meeting will be held at the U.S. Department
of Transportation (U.S. DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC, in the Oklahoma City Conference Room on the lobby level of the West
Building.

For Further Information or to Contact the Department Concerning the
Task Force: Livaughn Chapman, Jr., or Kathleen Blank-Riether, Office of
the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Ave., SE., W-96-429, Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone: (202) 366-9342;
Fax: (202) 366-7152; E-mail: Livaughn.Chapman@dot.gov, or
Kathleen.Blankriether@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5
U.S.C. App. 2, and the General Services Administration regulations
covering management of Federal advisory committees, 41 CFR part 102-3,
this notice announces a meeting of the National Task Force to Develop
Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground
Delays. The Meeting will be held on June 16, 2008, between 8:30 a.m.
and 5 p.m., at the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, in the Oklahoma City Conference
Room on the lobby level of the West Building.
DOT's Office of Inspector General recommended, in its audit report,
entitled ``Actions Needed to Minimize Long, On-Board Flight Delays,''
issued on September 25, 2007, that the Secretary of Transportation
establish a national task force of airlines, airports, and the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) to coordinate and develop contingency
plans to deal with lengthy delays, such as working with carriers and
airports to share facilities and make gates available in an emergency.
To effectuate this recommendation, on January 3, 2008, the Department,
consistent with the requirements of the FACA, established the National
Task Force to Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy
Airline On-Board Ground Delays. The first meeting of the Task Force
took place on February 26, 2008.
The agenda topics for the June 16, 2008, meeting will include the
following: (1) A briefing by the Contingency Plan Working Group, the
working group that is tasked with reviewing existing airline and
airport contingency plans for extended tarmac delays for best practices
and developing a model contingency plan; and (2) one or more
presentations on recent tarmac delay events and efforts to avoid them.
Attendance is open to the public, and time will be provided for
comments by members of the public. Since access to the U.S. DOT
headquarters building is controlled for security purposes, any member
of the general public who plans to attend this meeting must notify the
Department contact noted above ten (10) calendar days prior to the
meeting. Attendance will be necessarily limited by the size of the
meeting room.
Members of the public may present written comments at any time and,
at the discretion of the Chairman and time permitting, oral comments at
the meeting. Any oral comments permitted must be limited to agenda
items and will be limited to five (5) minutes per person. Members of
the public who wish to present oral comments must notify the Department
contact noted above via e-mail that they wish to attend and present
oral comments at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the meeting. For
this June 16, 2008, meeting, no more than one hour will be set aside
for oral comments. Although written material may be filed in the docket
at any time, comments regarding upcoming meeting topics should be sent
to the Task Force docket, (10) calendar days prior to the meeting.
Members of the public may also contact the Department contact noted
above to be placed on the Task Force mailing list.
Persons with a disability requiring special accommodations, such as
an interpreter for the hearing impaired, should contact the Department
contact noted above at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the
meeting.
Notice of this meeting is provided in accordance with the FACA and
the General Services Administration regulations covering management of
Federal advisory committees.


[[Page 31183]]


Issued on: May 28, 2008.
Samuel Podberesky,
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement & Proceedings, U.S.
Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. E8-12237 Filed 5-29-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P

Friday, May 30, 2008

Counterfeit Drugs and Travel

Take your own with you, and plenty of it.

Climate Change Report & Aviation Infrastructure

See Page 207 et seq..

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Alien Biometric Data

[Federal Register: May 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 104)]
[Notices]
[Page 30958-30959]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29my08-93]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[DHS-2008-0039]


Collection of Alien Biometric Data Upon Exit From the United
States at Air and Sea Ports of Departure; United States Visitor and
Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of
Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice of Hearing.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States
Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) Program,
is issuing this notice to advise the public of a public hearing on June
13, 2008, in Arlington, Virginia, on ``Collection of Alien Biometric
Data upon Exit from the United States at Air and Sea Ports of
Departure,'' docket DHS-2008-0039.

DATES: The hearing will be held on Friday, June 13, 2008, from 9:30
a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City
at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 2799 Jefferson Davis
Highway, Arlington, Virginia, 22202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen V. deThomas, US-VISIT,
Department of Homeland Security; 1616 North Fort Myer Drive, 18th
Floor, Arlington, Virginia, 22209 or by telephone at (202) 298-5200
(not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 24, 2008, The Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), United States Visitor and Immigrant Status
Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) Program, published a notice of proposed
rulemaking ``Collection of Alien Biometric Data upon Exit from the
United States at Air and Sea Ports of Departure,'' at 73 FR 22065. The
sixty-day public comment period for this proposed rule concludes on
June 23, 2008. DHS has received a number of requests to extend the
sixty-day comment period. Because the Department is operating under a
statutory deadline for implementation of a US-VISIT air exit system,
however, DHS will not be able to extend the comment period for this
rulemaking action. In lieu of extending the comment period, DHS will
hold a public hearing on this proposed rule at 9:30 a.m. on June 13,
2008, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Ronald Reagan Washington
National Airport, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia,
22202. US-VISIT will accept written and oral comments on the proposed
rule during this meeting. All comments received during this public
meeting will be included in the public docket (DHS-2008-0039) for this
rulemaking action.
Although DHS will accept comments on any aspect of this proposed
rule, the most helpful comments would specifically address discrete
elements of the proposed rule, including on-point operational and
financial data and the potential economic and business impacts of the
performance standards proposed under this rule, including the
alternatives discussed in this proposed rule and the underlying
assumptions and analyses related to those alternatives. The most useful
comments would include information on how DHS could accomplish the
requirements of the proposed rule and any alternatives that would
accomplish the result embodied in the proposed rule that would reduce
the burden on travelers and the travel industry without sacrificing
accuracy in the collection of biometric information. DHS also is
interested in public comment on the regulatory impact assessment
supporting this proposed rule, including:
The cost models of each alternative, including all
assumptions that underlie the labor costs;
Any cost-sharing alternatives to the proposals presented
between the carriers and the Government;
The assumptions and numbers used to develop the carrier
and Government alternatives; and
The potential for cost savings for alternatives not
included as options in the proposed rule.
Anyone wishing to speak and/or make a presentation during the
public meeting must contact Helen V. deThomas, US-VISIT, Department of
Homeland Security, by telephone at (202) 298-5200 (not a toll-free
number), by facsimile at (202) 298-5201, or by e-mail at
helen.dethomas@dhs.gov, not later than June 10, 2008, three business
days prior to the hearing date and provide three copies of any written
statement or presentation materials so that they may be placed on the
agenda. US-VISIT reserves the right to limit the number of presenters
and the time allowed for presentations to accommodate numerous
presenters with different points of view.
Additionally, if you need accommodations because of a disability or
require additional information, please

[[Page 30959]]

contact Helen V. deThomas at the above telephone number or e-mail
address.

Shonnie Lyon,
Acting Deputy Director, US-VISIT.
[FR Doc. E8-12021 Filed 5-28-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 9111-97-P

Oh, Canada!

How our porous northern border promotes terrorism.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Airline Employment Data

From the DTS.

2008 Olympic Games

Traveling to. . ..

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Global Entry

A new name for International Registered Traveler

[Federal Register: May 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 102)]
[Notices]
[Page 30416]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27my08-84]

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

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection

[Docket No. USCBP-2006-0037]


International Registered Traveler Pilot Program Name Changed to
Global Entry; Program Starting Date Accelerated; Changes to Enrollment
Center Information

AGENCY: Customs and Border Protection; Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: General notice.

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

SUMMARY: On April 11, 2008, Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
published in the Federal Register a notice announcing a pilot
international registered traveler program, then referred to as
International Registered Traveler (IRT), to be operated by CBP to allow
for the expedited clearance of pre-approved low-risk air travelers into
the United States. This notice announces that the program is now known
as Global Entry and that the starting date of the pilot program has
been moved up to June 6, 2008. This notice also updates the contact
information for the Enrollment Center at Washington Dulles
International Airport, Sterling, Virginia.

DATES: The pilot will commence June 6, 2008. Applications currently are
being accepted. Comments will be accepted throughout the duration of
the pilot.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fiorella Michelucci, Office of Field
Operations, (202) 344-2564 (not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 11, 2008, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in
the Federal Register (73 FR 19861) a notice announcing a pilot
international registered traveler program, then referred to as
International Registered Traveler (IRT), to be operated by CBP to allow
for the expedited clearance of pre-approved low-risk air travelers into
the United States. It was further announced that the pilot will begin
on June 10, 2008, and will initially be conducted at the John F.
Kennedy International Airport, Jamaica, New York; the George Bush
Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas; and the Washington Dulles
International Airport, Sterling, Virginia, and may expand to other
locations as announced.
All aspects of the program as described in the April 11 notice are
still in effect except for the changes set forth in this notice.
Applications started being accepted for the pilot on May 12, 2008, and
are still being accepted. Comments will be accepted throughout the
duration of the pilot to the addresses provided in the April 11, 2008
notice.

Revisions to Previous Notice

This notice is to inform the public of three changes relating to
the April 11, 2008 announcement: The name of the program has been
changed to ``Global Entry'', and the operation of the pilot will
commence on June 6, 2008, four days earlier than the date announced in
the April 11, 2008 notice. This notice also updates the contact
information for the Enrollment Center at Washington Dulles
International Airport, Sterling, Virginia. The new telephone number for
that location is 703-661-2854; the new fax number is 703-661-0013.

Dated: May 20, 2008.
W. Ralph Basham,
Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
[FR Doc. E8-11629 Filed 5-23-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 9111-14-P

Open Skies

From MIT.

The Future of Trans Atlantic Aviation

EU/US.

Airline Service Quality Reports

From the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Homeland Security Memo

Choosing Words Carefully.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Airline Quality Service Reports

From the BTS.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Real ID

Cost/Benefit Analysis.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Congressional Testimony

Transporation Security.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

A six pack away

Three Gorges Dam in China said to be unaffected by massive quake. It is actually only 600 miles from the epicenter of a quake that was purportedly as large as the entire US mainland.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Surfing Porn In-Flight

Broadband.

Senate Subcommittee Hearings

Aviation & Proposed Mergers.

The Way We Live Now

First Class Privilege.

Passengers Enter Britian Unchecked

Vote of confidence.

Friday, May 09, 2008

NTSB Report

Flight Attendant Breaks a Leg.

Open Skies

2nd Stage.

Mandatory Employment Verification

Homeland Security.

Aviation & The Environment

Congressional Testimony.

Under the Knife in Bangalore

US News & World Report's Investigation of Medical Care Abroad.

Green Traveler

". . .consumers want information about their carbon footprint as it relates both to business and personal travel. . .(it can effect their decisions about) how they travel, what airlines, hotels and rental car companies they use; where they hold meetings and events - even whether they travel at all".

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Is flying ethically correct?

Redistributing the costs of carbon fuel burn to the poor.

Climate Change, National Security Implications.

Oil Industry Profit Review.

Water, water, everywhere (along the New Madrid Fault).

Infant on lap

Ten Percent More.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Advice from Insiders, On Line Travel Tips

From the Atlantic Magazine.

Friday, May 02, 2008

737 Air worthiness Directives

From the Federal Register, May 2, 2008.

Federal Air Marshall's on No Fly List

If this weren't so sad, it would be funny.

10 things your airline doesn't want you to know

From Yahoo.