Airline Data Collection Continues: Feedback Welcome, Yawns Expected
Published Date: 5/8/2026
Notice
Summary
The Department of Transportation wants to keep collecting flight data from U.S. and foreign airlines to track how busy airports and flights are. They’re asking for public feedback by June 8, 2026, to make sure this info collection is still useful and not too much work. This helps everyone understand air travel trends without costing airlines extra money.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Mandatory T‑100 Reporting Burden on Airlines
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics requires U.S. and foreign air carriers to keep filing the T-100 schedules. The notice lists 125 T-100 respondents (1,500 annual responses at 6 hours each = 9,000 annual hours) and 233 T-100(f) respondents (2,796 annual responses at 2 hours each = 5,592 annual hours), totaling 14,592 annual burden hours.
AIP Entitlement Distribution Uses T‑100 Data
The Federal Aviation Administration uses T-100 enplanement data to distribute Airport Improvement Program (AIP) entitlement funds to eligible primary airports (those with more than 0.01 percent of total U.S. enplanements). Collecting Schedule T-100(f) for small aircraft operations is intended to help the FAA distribute these funds more fairly.
Respondent Identity and Data May Be Published
BTS notifies respondents that information collected under this OMB approval may be used for non‑statistical purposes and may include publication of each respondent's identity and data and sharing with agencies outside BTS for review, analysis, and possible regulatory or administrative use.
FAA Uses Data for Safety, Forecasts, and Capacity
The FAA uses T-100 traffic, operational, and capacity data as safety indicators and to prepare traffic forecasts, staffing and budget plans, airport capacity (PANCAP) analyses, and airport planning. The notice explains that exceeding PANCAP can increase delays and the potential risk of accidents.
T‑100 Data Used in Competition and Licensing Reviews
The Department and the Justice Department use T-100 data when reviewing air carrier mergers, acquisitions, foreign carrier applications, and to assess a carrier's fitness. The data inform analyses of traffic volumes, capacity, market segments, and potential competitive effects.
T‑100 Data Helps Set Mail Rates
The Department uses traffic and capacity data from T-100 submissions to establish international and intra‑Alaska mail rates. The notice says those rates are updated every six months using the traffic and capacity information.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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