S.Amdt. 4604

SA 4604. Mr. SPECTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2881, to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2008 through 2011, to improve aviation safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the national aviation system, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. SCHEDULE REDUCTION.

(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall convene a conference of air carriers to voluntarily reduce operations described in paragraphs (1) and (2), in accordance with section 41722 of title 49, United States Code, to less than the maximum departure and arrival rate established by the Administrator for such operations, if the Administrator determines that--

(1) the aircraft operations of air carriers during any hour at an airport exceeds such hourly maximum departure and arrival rate; and

(2) the operations in excess of such maximum departure and arrival rate for such hour at such airport are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the national or regional airspace system.

(b) No Agreement.--If the air carriers participating in a conference convened under subsection (a) with respect to an airport are not able to agree to a reduction in the number of flights to and from the airport to less than the maximum departure and arrival rate, the Administrator, in consultation with representatives of the affected airport, shall take such action as is necessary to ensure that the reduction described in subsection (a) is implemented.

(c) Quarterly Reports.--Not later than 3 months after the date of the enactment of this Act and every 3 months thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that describes--

(1) scheduling at the 35 airports that have the greatest number of passenger enplanements; and

(2) each occurrence in which hourly scheduled aircraft operations of air carriers at any such airport exceeded the maximum departure and arrival rate for such airport.