(a) Allocations are not a property interest; they are an operating privilege subject to absolute FAA control.
(b) Allocations are subject to the following conditions:
(1) The Administrator will re-authorize and re-distribute allocations no earlier than two years from the effective date of this rule.
(2) Allocations that are held by the FAA at the time of reallocation may be distributed among remaining certificate holders, proportionate to the size of each certificate holder's allocation.
(3) The aggregate SFRA allocations will not exceed the number of operations reported to the FAA for the base year beginning on May 1, 1997 and ending on April 30, 1998, except as adjusted to incorporate operations occurring for the base year of April 1, 2000 and ending on March 31, 2001, that operate at or above 14,500 feet MSL and below 18,000 feet MSL and operations in the area affected by the eastward shift of the SFRA bounded by longitude line 111 degrees 42 minutes east to longitude 111 degrees 36 minutes east.
(4) Allocations may be transferred among Part 135 or Part 121 certificate holders, subject to all of the following:
(i) Such transactions are subject to all other applicable requirements of this chapter.
(ii) Allocations authorizing commercial air tours outside the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors may not be transferred into the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors. Allocations authorizing commercial air tours within the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors may be transferred outside of the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors.
(iii) A certificate holder must notify in writing the responsible Flight Standards Office within 10 calendar days of a transfer of allocations. This notification must identify the parties involved, the type of transfer (permanent or temporary) and the number of allocations transferred. Permanent transfers are not effective until the responsible Flight Standards Office reissues the operations specifications reflecting the transfer. Temporary transfers are effective upon notification.
(5) An allocation will revert to the FAA upon voluntary cessation of commercial air tours within the SFRA for any consecutive 180-day period unless the certificate holder notifies the FSDO in writing, prior to the expiration of the 180-day time period, of the following: the reason why the certificate holder has not conducted any commercial air tours during the consecutive 180-day period; and the date the certificate holder intends on resuming commercial air tours operations. The FSDO will notify the certificate holder of any extension to the consecutive 180-days. A certificate holder may be granted one extension.
(6) The FAA retains the right to re-distribute, reduce, or revoke allocations based on:
(i) Efficiency of airspace;
(ii) Voluntary surrender of allocations;
(iii) Involuntary cessation of operations; and
(iv) Aviation safety.
[65 FR 17733, Apr. 4, 2000 as amended by Amdt. 93-102, 83 FR 48213, Sept. 24, 2018]