Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Part 249 Preservation of Air Carrier Records
Federal Register Notice
April 23, 1997
Volume 62, Number 78
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the general public, industry and other Federal Agencies to comment on the continuing need and usefulness of DOT requiring certificated air carriers to preserve accounting records, consumer complaint letters, reservation reports and records, system reports of aircraft movements, etc.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by June 23, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
COMMENTS: Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-0006 and submit a duplicate copy to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: Comments on OMB # 2138-0006. The postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline Information, K-25, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4387.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Approval No. 2138-0006.
Title: Preservation of Air Carrier Records Part 249.
Form No.: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved recordkeeping requirement.
Respondents: Certificated air carriers and public charter operators.
Number of Respondents: 130 certificated air carriers; 350 public charter operators.
Total Annual Burden: 688 hours.
Needs and Uses: Part 249 requires the retention of such records as general and subsidiary ledgers, journals and journal vouchers, voucher distribution registers, accounts receivable and payable journals and ledgers, subsidy records documenting underlying financial and statistical reports to the Department, funds reports, consumer records, sales reports, auditors' and flight coupons, air waybills, etc. Depending on the nature of the document, it may be retained for a period of 30 days to 3 years. Public charter operators and overseas military personnel charter operators must retain documents which evidence or reflect deposits made by each charter participant and commissions received by, paid to, or deducted by travel agents, and all statements, invoices, bills and receipts from suppliers or furnishers of goods and services in connection with the tour or charter. These records are retained for 6 months after completion of the charter program.
Not only is it imperative that carriers and charter operators retain source documentation, but it is critical that we ensure that DOT has access to these records. Given DOT's established information needs for such reports, the underlying support documentation must be retained for a reasonable period of time. Absent the retention requirements, the documentary support for such reports may or may not exist for audit/ validation purposes and the relevance and usefulness of carrier submissions would be impaired, since the data could not be verified to the source on a test basis.
Timothy E. Carmody,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 97-10482 Filed 4-22-97; 8:45 am]
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