Airspace Authorizations in Controlled Airspace under 49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(5)

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Supporting Statement_2120-0176_44809 Auths_ (final).docx Supporting Statement A	2022-06-29
FAA_Aerospace_Forecasts_FY_2021-2041.pdf Supplementary Document	2022-03-23
49 USC 44809.pdf Supplementary Document	2019-05-20

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
236140	44809 Airspace Authorizations - Web Portal Instruction	Modified
236134	44809 Airspace Authorizations - LAANC Instruction	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 2120-0776	ICR Reference No: 202203-2120-009
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 201905-2120-008
Agency/Subagency: DOT/FAA	Agency Tracking No: Ready for OST Review
Title: Airspace Authorizations in Controlled Airspace under 49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(5)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  Yes
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 07/14/2022

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	07/31/2022
Responses	252,460	339,988
Time Burden (Hours)	24,089	49,299
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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Abstract: Respondents are sUAS operators who are seeking to fly in controlled airspace under 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a)(5). Respondents are required to provide their name, telephone number, email address, and information related to the date, time, place, and altitude of any planned flight operations in controlled airspace. While reporting the information is voluntary it is required on occasion (each time a respondent desires to fly in controlled airspace). There are no record-keeping or disclosure requirements. The information requested from respondents is essential to FAA mission needs. The FAA is tasked with the exclusive management of airspace in the United States and must issue regulations and control the use of airspace to ensure the safe and efficient use of airspace. The FAA uses the information provided by respondents via either LAANC or the web portal for the same purposes. To accomplish the FAA’s mandate of providing safe and efficient use of airspace, FAA’s Air Traffic Control must be aware of any planned operations of sUAS in controlled airspace. sUAS operating in controlled airspace will be entering airspace potentially occupied by a variety of other aviation vehicles. FAA’s Air Traffic Control must provide authorization of planned sUAS operations prior to them occurring to ensure that the operations will not interfere with other air traffic. The information provided by respondents to request authorization to conduct sUAS operations, whether through LAANC or via the web portal, is used by the FAA to provide (or deny) authorization to conduct a sUAS operation consistent with the FAA’s legal mandate to maintain a safe and efficient airspace.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 49 USC 44701 Name of Law: General Requirements
   US Code: 49 USC 44809 Name of Law: FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: US Code: 49 USC 44809 Name of Law: FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 9414	02/18/2022
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 41159	07/11/2022
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
44809 Airspace Authorizations - LAANC
44809 Airspace Authorizations - Web Portal

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	252,460	339,988	0	-87,528	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	24,089	49,299	0	-25,210	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: Information Collection 2120-0776 was approved on July 31, 2019 for 49,299 hours per year. This collection activity was new to the FAA in 2019 and the operation of sUAS in the National Airspace is relatively new with activity like this approved for the first time in 2017. Now that the FAA has processed airspace authorization requests under for nearly three years a clearer picture of the number of authorization requests exists and the FAA is reducing its estimate of the total number of respondents due to there being a lower percentage of respondents requesting airspace authorizations under 49 U.S.C. § 44809 than was anticipated in 2019. The FAA is also reducing the burden hour allocation between LAANC and the web portal as a higher percentage of respondents are using LAANC, which estimates to take 5 minutes per transaction, vs. the web portal, which estimates to take 30 minutes per transaction. The screenshots for the web portal were also updated to reflect the new user interface.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $2,620,889

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  Yes

Description/Changes for Common Form Usage: 

Approved RCFs using this ICR

Agency/Sub Agency	RCF ID	RCF Title	RCF Status	IC Title

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 07/14/2022

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