Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Passenger Origin-Destination Survey Report

AGENCY:

Research & Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 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 extension of currently approved collections. 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 on the following collection of information was published on November 16, 2009 (74 FR 59018-59019).

DATES:

Written comments should be submitted by February 19, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline Information, RTS-42, Room E34-409, RITA, BTS, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number (202) 366-4387, Fax Number (202) 366-3383 or E-mail bernard.stankus@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval No. 2139-0001

Title: Passenger Origin-Destination Survey Report.

Form No.: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Large certificated air carriers that provide scheduled passenger service.

Number of Respondents: 35.

Total Number of Annual Responses: 140.

Estimated Time per Response: 240 hours.

Total Annual Burden: 33,600.

Needs and Uses: Survey data are used in monitoring the airline industry, negotiating international agreements, reviewing requests for the grant of anti-trust immunity for air carrier alliance agreements, selecting new international routes, selecting U.S. carriers to operate limited entry foreign routes, and modeling the spread of contagious diseases. The Passenger Origin-Destination Survey Report is the only aviation data collection by DOT where the air carriers report the true origins and destinations of passengers' flight itineraries. The Department does have another aviation data collection (T-100) which (1) gives passenger totals for city-pairs served on a nonstop basis and (2) market totals for passengers traveling on a single flight number. If the passenger travels on multiple flight numbers, a new market is recorded for each change in flight number.

The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note), requires a statistical agency to clearly identify information it collects for non-statistical purposes. BTS hereby notifies the respondents and the public that BTS uses the information it collects under this OMB approval for non-statistical purposes including, but not limited to, publication of both Respondent's identity and its data, submission of the information to agencies outside BTS for review, analysis and possible use in regulatory and other administrative matters.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention BTS Desk Officer.

Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department. Comments should address whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.