The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has filed a proposed rule with the Office of the Massachusetts Secretary of State to formally initiate the state rulemaking process and public review of a proposed rule to establish a peak period surcharge during designated peak delay periods at Boston Logan International Airport. The proposal includes a monitoring program to track airfield delays during good weather and, if excessive delays are projected to occur and provide an opportunity fro the airlines to modify their schedules. Establishing this peak period demand management program is part of Massportbs comprehensive program to reduce current and projected delays at Logan Airport.

The proposed regulation would enable Massport to charge a fixed fee of $150 per landing or take-off during designated peak delay periods if air carriers do not respond to the monitoring program and over-scheduling persists. If over-scheduling occurs within the next three years, the initial peak fee will be $150. Under the proposed program, Massport would also have the ability to adjust this fee should it become necessary to reduce schedule-related delays at Logan Airport during peak periods.

Over-scheduling is not currently a source of delay at Logan Airport. The surcharge would be imposed in the event that over-scheduling becomes a problem in the future.

Massport agreed to initiate the state rulemaking process for a demand management program at Logan Airport as part of the final Suffolk Superior Court judgment allowing construction of Runway 14/32 to move forward. Massport committed to completing the rulemaking process and implementing a demand management program at Logan Airport prior to the opening of Runway 14/32.

The filing will be followed by a public comment period that will last through November 15, 2004. Massport will conduct two public hearings to receive comments on the proposed regulation. Written comments may be submitted to Massport at any time during the comment period. Written comments should be sent to:

Flavio Leo
Manager, Aviation Planning
Massachusetts Port Authority
One Harborside Drive
East Boston, MA 02128-2909

The complete demand management proposal and proposed rule and Notice of Public Hearings are available in PDF format below:
Proposed Peak Period Surcharge Regulation
Notice Of Public Hearings
(This requires Acrobat Reader to view files.)

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