AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) is issuing a final rule to facilitate innovation and growth in the air charter
industry while strengthening the legal protections provided to consumers of charter air transportation. First, this rule allows ‘‘air charter brokers’’ as principals or bona fide agents to provide single entity charter air transportation of passengers. Second, it requires air charter brokers to make certain disclosures including those responsive to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation and to make other disclosures upon request. Third, it enumerates certain practices by air charter brokers as prohibited unfair or deceptive practices or unfair methods of competition. Fourth, this rule requires air taxis and commuter air carriers that sell charter air transportation to make certain disclosures including those responsive to an NTSB recommendation and other disclosures upon request. Fifth, it enumerates certain practices by an air taxi or commuter air carrier as prohibited unfair or deceptive practices or unfair methods of competition. At the same time, the Department is not adopting a proposal to codify exemption authority allowing indirect air carriers to engage in the sale of air transportation related to air ambulance services. Nor is it adopting a proposal to codify that certain air transportation
services performed under contract with the Federal Government are in common carriage.