§ 41509. Authority of the Secretary of Transportation to suspend, cancel, and reject tariffs for foreign air transportation
(a)
Cancellation and Rejection.—
(1)
On the initiative of the Secretary of Transportation or on a complaint filed with the Secretary, the Secretary may conduct a hearing to decide whether a price for foreign air transportation contained in an existing or newly filed tariff of an air carrier or foreign air carrier, a classification, rule, or practice affecting that price, or the value of the transportation provided under that price, is lawful. The Secretary may begin the hearing at once and without an answer or another formal pleading by the air carrier or foreign air carrier, but only after reasonable notice. If, after the hearing, the Secretary decides that the price, classification, rule, or practice is or will be unreasonable or unreasonably discriminatory, the Secretary may cancel or reject the tariff and prevent the use of the price, classification, rule, or practice.
(2)
With or without a hearing, the Secretary may cancel or reject an existing or newly filed tariff of a foreign air carrier and prevent the use of a price, classification, rule, or practice when the Secretary decides that the cancellation or rejection is in the public interest.
(3)
In deciding whether to cancel or reject a tariff of an air carrier or foreign air carrier under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider—
(B)
the need in the public interest of adequate and efficient transportation by air carriers and foreign air carriers at the lowest cost consistent with providing the transportation;
(C)
the standards prescribed under law related to the character and quality of transportation to be provided by air carriers and foreign air carriers;
(E)
the need of the air carrier and foreign air carrier for revenue sufficient to enable the air carrier and foreign air carrier, under honest, economical, and efficient management, to provide adequate and efficient air carrier and foreign air carrier transportation;
(F)
whether the price will be predatory or tend to monopolize competition among air carriers and foreign air carriers in foreign air transportation;
(b)
Suspension.—
(1)
(2)
A suspension becomes effective when the Secretary files with the tariff and delivers to the air carrier or foreign air carrier affected by the suspension a written statement of the reasons for the suspension. To suspend a tariff, reasonable notice of the suspension must be given to the affected carrier.
(3)
The suspension of a newly filed tariff may be for periods totaling not more than 365 days after the date the tariff otherwise would go into effect. The suspension of an existing tariff may be for periods totaling not more than 365 days after the effective date of the suspension. The Secretary may rescind at any time the suspension of a newly filed tariff and allow the price, classification, rule, or practice to go into effect.
(c)
Effective Tariffs and Prices When Tariff Is Suspended, Canceled, or Rejected.—
(1)
If a tariff is suspended pending the outcome of a proceeding under subsection (a) of this section and the Secretary does not take final action in the proceeding during the suspension period, the tariff goes into effect at the end of that period subject to cancellation when the proceeding is concluded.
(2)
(A)
During the period of suspension, or after the cancellation or rejection, of a newly filed tariff (including a tariff that has gone into effect provisionally), the affected air carrier or foreign air carrier shall maintain in effect and use—
(B)
If the suspended, canceled, or rejected tariff is the first tariff of the carrier for the covered transportation, the carrier, for the purpose of operations during the period of suspension or pending effectiveness of a new tariff, may file another tariff containing a price or another classification, rule, or practice affecting the price, or the value of the transportation provided under the price, that is in effect (and not subject to a suspension order) for any air carrier providing the same transportation.
(3)
If an existing tariff is suspended or canceled, the affected air carrier or foreign air carrier, for the purpose of operations during the period of suspension or pending effectiveness of a new tariff, may file another tariff containing a price or another classification, rule, or practice affecting the price, or the value of the transportation provided under the price, that is in effect (and not subject to a suspension order) for any air carrier providing the same transportation.
(d)
Response to Refusal of Foreign Country To Allow Air Carrier To Charge a Price.—
When the Secretary finds that the government or an aeronautical authority of a foreign country has refused to allow an air carrier to charge a price contained in a tariff filed and published under section
41504 of this title for foreign air transportation to the foreign country—
(1)
the Secretary, without a hearing—
(A)
may suspend any existing tariff of a foreign air carrier providing transportation between the United States and the foreign country for periods totaling not more than 365 days after the date of the suspension; and
(B)
may order the foreign air carrier to charge, during the suspension periods, prices that are the same as those contained in a tariff (designated by the Secretary) of an air carrier filed and published under section
41504 of this title for foreign air transportation to the foreign country; and
(2)
a foreign air carrier may continue to provide foreign air transportation to the foreign country only if the government or aeronautical authority of the foreign country allows an air carrier to start or continue foreign air transportation to the foreign country at the prices designated by the Secretary.
(e)
Standard Foreign Fare Level.—
(1)
(A)
In this subsection, “standard foreign fare level” means—
(i)
for a class of fares existing on October 1, 1979, the fare between 2 places (as adjusted under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph) filed for and allowed by the Civil Aeronautics Board to go into effect after September 30, 1979, and before August 13, 1980 (with seasonal fares adjusted by the percentage difference that prevailed between seasons in 1978), or the fare established under section 1002(j)(8) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (Public Law 85–726, 72 Stat. 731), as added by section 24(a) of the International Air Transportation Competition Act of 1979 (Public Law 96–192, 94 Stat. 46); or
(B)
At least once every 60 days for fuel costs, and at least once every 180 days for other costs, the Secretary shall adjust the standard foreign fare level for the particular foreign air transportation to which the standard foreign fare level applies by increasing or decreasing that level by the percentage change from the last previous period in the actual operating cost for each available seat-mile. In adjusting a standard foreign fare level, the Secretary may not make an adjustment to costs actually incurred. In establishing a standard foreign fare level and making adjustments in the level under this paragraph, the Secretary may use all relevant or appropriate information reasonably available to the Secretary.
(2)
The Secretary may not decide that a proposed fare for foreign air transportation is unreasonable on the basis that the fare is too low or too high if the proposed fare is neither more than 5 percent higher nor 50 percent lower than the standard foreign fare level for the same or essentially similar class of transportation. The Secretary by regulation may increase the 50 percent specified in this paragraph.
(3)
Paragraph (2) of this subsection does not apply to a proposed fare that is not more than—
(A)
5 percent higher than the standard foreign fare level when the Secretary decides that the proposed fare may be unreasonably discriminatory or that suspension of the fare is in the public interest because of an unreasonable regulatory action by the government of a foreign country that is related to a fare proposal of an air carrier; or
(B)
50 percent lower than the standard foreign fare level when the Secretary decides that the proposed fare may be predatory or discriminatory or that suspension of the fare is required because of an unreasonable regulatory action by the government of a foreign country that is related to a fare proposal of an air carrier.
(f)
Submission of Orders to President.—
The Secretary shall submit to the President an order made under this section suspending, canceling, or rejecting a price for foreign air transportation, and an order rescinding the effectiveness of such an order, before publishing the order. Not later than 10 days after its submission, the President may disapprove the order on finding disapproval is necessary for United States foreign policy or national defense reasons.
(g)
Compliance as Condition of Certificate or Permit.—
This section and compliance with an order of the Secretary under this section are conditions to any certificate or permit held by an air carrier or foreign air carrier. An air carrier or foreign air carrier may provide foreign air transportation only as long as the carrier maintains prices for that transportation that comply with this section and orders of the Secretary under this section.