Action
Final rule; response to comments.
Summary
On September 22, 2001, President Bush signed into law the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act ("the Act"). The Act makes available to the President funds to compensate air carriers, as defined in the Act, for direct losses suffered as a result of any Federal ground stop order and incremental losses beginning September 11, 2001, and ending December 31, 2001, resulting from the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In order to fulfill Congress' intent to expeditiously provide compensation to eligible air carriers, the Department used procedures set out in Program Guidance Letters to make initial estimated payments amounting to about 50 percent of the authorized funds. On October 29, 2001, the Department published a final rule and request for comments establishing application procedures for air carriers interested in requesting compensation under this statute. This document makes amendments to the rule and otherwise responds to the comments the Department received.