This part applies to certificated air carriers who terminate or suspend service to a point, or in a market, and to all air carriers who terminate, suspend, or reduce service below the level of essential air service under 49 U.S.C. 41731-41742.

As used in this part:

Certificated carrier means a direct air carrier holding authority to provide air transportation granted by the Department in the form of a certificate of public convenience and necessity under 49 U.S.C. 41102 (Transportation) or an all-cargo air transportation certificate to perform all-cargo air transportation under 49 U.S.C. 41103.

Eligible place means a place in the United States that meets the specified criteria outlined in 49 U.S.C. Chapter 417.

Essential air service is that air transportation which the Department has found to be essential under Subchapter II of Chapter 417 of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII.

FAA-designated hub means any airport serving a small, medium, or large air traffic hub listed in the Department of Transportation publication, Airport Activity Statistics of Certificated Route Carriers.

United States includes the several States, the District of Columbia, and the several territories and possessions of the United States. State includes any of the individual entities comprising the United States.

(a) Terminations, suspensions, or reductions by certificated carriers. The notice described in § 323.4(a) shall be filed by any certificated carrier that intends to:

(1) Terminate or suspend all passenger air transportation that it is providing to any eligible place in the United States when that termination or suspension will leave no certificated carriers serving that place. Service shall be considered to be terminated or suspended whenever it is operated less than 5 days per week, with three or more intermediate stops, or in one direction only between the two places;

(2) Reduce passenger air transportation so that any eligible place receives less than the level of essential air service determined by DOT;

(3) Terminate or suspend all passenger air transportation that it is providing to any eligible place in the United States for which DOT has not issued an essential air service determination under either § 325.5 or § 325.7 of this chapter, when that termination or suspension will leave only one certificated carrier serving that place. Service shall be considered to be terminated or suspended whenever it is operated less than 5 days per week, with three or more intermediate stops, or in one direction only between the two places;

(4) Reduce passenger air transportation to any eligible place in Alaska for which DOT has not determined the level of essential air service so that the service between that place and every other place served by a certificated carrier is either:

(i) Less than two round trip flights per week, or

(ii) Less than the average weekly number of round trip flights actually provided during calendar year 1976, or

(iii) Less than the number of flights specified under an agreement between DOT and the State of Alaska; or

(5) Terminate, suspend, or reduce passenger air transportation at an eligible place for which DOT has issued, or is required to issue, an essential air service determination under section 41731 or section 41733 of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII so that the total available seats of all the carriers linking that place to FAA-designated hubs will be reduced by 33 percent or more during a 90-day period. Service to a hub shall be considered to be terminated or suspended whenever it is operated less than 5 days per week, with three or more intermediate stops, or in one direction only between two places.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Uncertificated carriers. The notice described in § 323.4(a) shall be filed by any uncertificated carrier that intends to terminate, suspend, or reduce:

(1) Air transportation so that any eligible place receives less than the level of essential air service determined by the DOT;

(2) Passenger air transportation to any eligible place for which DOT has not determined the level of essential air service, other than a place in Alaska, so that there is no FAA-designated hub from which the place receives at least two round trip flights per day, 5 days per week; or

(3) Passenger air transportation to any eligible place in Alaska, for which DOT has not determined the level of essential air service, so that the service between that place and every other place served by a certificated carrier is either:

(i) Less than two round trip flights per week, or

(ii) Less than the average number of weekly round trip flights actually provided during calendar year 1976, or

(iii) Less than the number of flights specified under an agreement between DOT and the State of Alaska.

(d) For the purpose of this section, in ascertaining the level of air transportation being provided to a place or between two places, air transportation that has been the subject of a notice filed under this section shall be considered not in operation for the duration of the notice period.

(e) If a certificated carrier was, before October 24, 1978, granted authority to suspend air transportation, and that authority ends on a stated date, the carrier shall comply with the requirements of this part before continuing the suspension beyond that date.

(f) If a certificated carrier was, before October 24, 1978, granted authority to terminate or suspend air transportation, but has not suspended service, the carrier shall comply with the requirements of this part before terminating or suspending service.

(a) The notice required under § 323.3 (a) and (c) shall contain:

(1) Identification of the carrier, including address and telephone number.

(2) Statement whether the carrier is a certificated carrier or an uncertificated carrier.

(3) Names of all other air carriers serving the point at the time of filing.

(4) Description of the service to be terminated, suspended, or reduced, including:

(i) Arrival and departure times at the affected points of the flights to be discontinued,

(ii) Aircraft type used,

(iii) Routes of the flights to be discontinued, and a statement of which routes, if any, will be left without nonstop or single-plane service from a certificated carrier by the intended change, and

(iv) Date of intended termination, suspension, or reduction of service.

(5) A statement whether DOT has determined the level of essential air service for the point, and

(i) If such a determination has been made, a statement whether the intended termination, suspension, or reduction will reduce air transportation to the place below the essential level; or

(ii) If such a determination has not been made, and the place is an eligible place, a statement whether the intended termination, suspension, or reduction reasonably appears to deprive the place of essential air service, and an explanation.

(6) If the place is an eligible place, the calendar date when objections are due under § 323.10.

(7) Proof of service upon all persons specified in § 323.7(a). The proof of service shall include the names of all carriers served and the names and addresses of all other persons served.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) DOT may require any carrier filing notice to supply additional information.

(a) Except as specified by paragraph (b) of this section, a notice required by § 323.3 shall be filed at least:

(1) 90 days before the intended termination, suspension, or reduction, if it is filed by a certificated carrier or by an uncertificated carrier receiving compensation under 49 U.S.C. 41731-41742 for service to the place;

(2) 30 days before the intended termination, suspension, or reduction, if it is filed by an uncertificated carrier not receiving compensation under section 419 of the Act for service to the place.

(b) The notice required by § 323.3(a)(3) shall be filed at least 30 days, and the notice required by § 323.3(a)(1) shall be filed at least 60 days, before the intended termination or suspension.

(a) Each notice filed under this part shall, unless otherwise specified, conform to the procedural rules of general applicability in subpart A of part 302 of this chapter.

(b) Each notice filed under this part shall be titled to indicate the place(s) involved, and to indicate whether it is a 30-, 60-, or 90-day notice and whether it involves a termination, a suspension, or a reduction of air transportation.

(a) A copy of each notice required by § 323.3 shall be served upon:

(1) The chief executive of the principal city or other unit of local government at the affected place. The principal city is the one named, or previously named, in the section 41102 certificate by virtue of which the place qualifies as an eligible place. For places in Alaska or Hawaii that are designated as eligible places without having been listed on a section 41102 certificate, the principal city is the most populous municipality at the place.

(2) [Reserved]

(3) The State agency with jurisdiction over transportation by air in the State containing any community required to be served under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. If there is no such State agency, the notice shall be sent to the governor of that State.

(4) The manager of, or other individual with direct supervision over and responsibility for, the airport at any community required to be served under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(5) The Postmaster General (marked for the attention of the Assistant General Counsel, Transportation), if the carrier filing the notice is authorized to transport United States mail to or from any community required to be served under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(6) Each air carrier providing scheduled service to a non-hub or FAA-designated small hub that is directly affected by the notice.

(7) The DOT Regional Office for the region in which the affected point is located.

(8) Any other person designated by DOT.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Local communities, State agencies, and airport managers shall be served personally or by registered or certificated mail. All other persons may be served by ordinary mail.

Carriers are exempted from paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(3), and (a)(5) of § 323.3 to the extent that those provisions require them to file a notice when terminating or suspending the domestic leg of an international flight (fill-up service).

(a) Any person may file an objection requesting DOT to prohibit any termination, suspension, or reduction of air transportation to an eligible place that is the subject of a notice filed under this part.

(b) Objections shall contain:

(1) Identification of the objector, including address and telephone number.

(2) A statement of DOT action requested.

(3) The schedules, routes, carriers, and aircraft types for all air transportation to the affected place other than that proposed to be terminated, suspended, or reduced.

(4) A suggested reasonable level of essential air service to the affected place.

(5) [Reserved]

(6) A justification of the suggested level of essential air service.

(7) Proof of service on the carrier filing the notice objected to, on all airport managers and State and local governments on whom the notice was filed, and any other person designated by DOT. The proof of service shall include the names of all carriers served and the names and addresses of all other persons served.

(c) Objectors are strongly urged to include in their objections facts to support the suggested level of essential air service (e.g., traffic and enplanement data, other market studies, facts descriptive of the place's isolation or dependence on air transportation).

(a) Objections shall be filed not later than:

(1) 12 days from the date of filing of a 30-day notice;

(2) 15 days from the date of filing of a 60-day notice; or

(3) 20 days from the date of filing of a 90-day notice.

(b) The Department may accept late-filed objections, upon motion, for good cause shown.

(c) Whenever a notice has been filed earlier than required under § 323.5, the Department may extend the time for filing an objection to that notice.

(a) Any person may file an answer to an objection filed under this part.

(b) An answer must be filed not later than 7 business days after the filing of the objection to which it responds. Late-filed answers may be allowed, and extensions of filing time granted, by the Department for the same reasons as for objections.

(c) An answer may contain the same type of facts and discussion permitted for objections under this part, and must contain:

(1) Proof of service on the objector, on all persons on whom the objection was required to be served, and on any other person designated by the Department. The proof of service shall include the names and addresses of all persons served.

(2) Identification of the answering party, including address and telephone number.

(a) Each objection and answer filed under this part shall, unless otherwise specified, conform to the procedural rules of general applicability in subpart A of part 302 of this chapter.

(b) Each objection shall be titled “Objection to Termination, Suspension, or Reduction of Air Service,” and shall identify the notice to which it responds. Each answer shall be titled “Answer to Objection to Termination, Suspension, or Reduction of Air Service,” and shall identify the objection to which it responds.

(a) If an objection has been filed under this part, DOT will dispose of the objection by order.

(b) If no objection has been filed within the time allowed by § 323.10(a), DOT may:

(1) By order prohibit a termination, suspension, or reduction that reasonably appears to deprive any eligible place of essential air transportation;

(2) Issue a notice or a final order that it will take no action on a notice filed under § 323.3; or

(3) Take no action.

(a) Any air carrier may temporarily suspend service without filing a notice under § 323.3 for any interruption of service that the carrier cannot reasonably be expected to foresee or control, such as rules, standards, or other action, or inaction, of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration or of a foreign government, emergency measures, strikes, weather conditions, construction work on airports, or disasters. However, the provisions of this paragraph shall apply to interruptions due to airport inadequacies only if the carrier is unable to serve the place through any airport convenient to the place with the type of equipment last regularly used to serve the place.

(b) In the case of an interruption of service caused by a strike, the carrier shall give immediate notice of the interruption to DOT. Suspension authority under this section due to a strike shall expire 90 days after employees return to work.

(c) If service to a place is interrupted for more than 3 consecutive days for reasons beyond the carrier's control other than a strike, the holder shall give notice to DOT within 3 days following the date of first interruption, setting forth the date of first interruption and a full statement of the reasons for the interruption.

(d) The notice required by paragraph (b) or (c) of this section shall be marked for the attention of the Director, Office of Aviation Analysis.

(a) Within 15 days following resumption of service after a strike, an air carrier shall file a report with DOT containing a list of all flights that were canceled, the date they were canceled, and the date service was resumed.

(b) The report shall be marked for the attention of the Director, Office of Aviation Analysis.

Each air carrier filing a notice under § 323.3 (a)(2), (a)(4), (a)(5), or (c) shall continue to list the affected flights in all generally-distributed schedule publications in which the flight was listed before the notice. The listings shall continue until DOT permits the flights to be discontinued. The listings may include a notice stating that the flights are “to be discontinued as of (date) subject to government approval.”

If transportation that is the subject of a notice under this part is not discontinued within 90 days of the intended date stated in the notice, a new notice must be filed before the service may be discontinued. However, if DOT requires the carrier to provide service beyond the stated date, the carrier need not file a new notice if it discontinues the service within 90 days after DOT permits it to do so.

Any air carrier that terminates, suspends, or reduces air service, whether or not subject to the notice requirements of this part, shall make reasonable efforts to contact all passengers holding reservations on the affected flights to inform them of the flights' cancellation.

As a condition on the exemption, an air carrier operating under exemption authority in an international market which is the subject of a carrier selection proceeding shall file a notice with the Department at least ninety days before it terminates service in that market. Once such a notice has been filed, the carrier may not terminate service in that market during the notice period unless the air carrier chosen in the selection proceeding enters the market and the Department grants the operating carrier permission to do so. The Department may allow earlier termination for good cause when in the public interest.