Enforcement Policy Regarding “Foreign Air Operator Certificates Issued by a Regional Safety Oversight Organization”

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 129</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No.: FAA-2024-0176; Amdt. No. 129-55]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AL93</RIN> <SUBJECT>Enforcement Policy Regarding “Foreign Air Operator Certificates Issued by a Regional Safety Oversight Organization”</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Notice of enforcement discretion. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> This notice announces that the FAA will not take enforcement action against regulated entities for failing to comply with the final rule titled “Foreign Air Operator Certificates Issued by a Regional Safety Oversight Organization” until March 20, 2025. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> As of March 11, 2025, the enforcement for the rule published December 17, 2024, at 89 FR 101870, is delayed to March 20, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> <E T="03">Electronic Access and Filing:</E> This document, the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), all comments received, the final rule, the other rulemaking-specific documents in the docket, and all background material may be viewed online at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> using the docket number listed above. Electronic retrieval help and guidelines are available on the website. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from the Office of the Federal Register's website at <E T="03">www.federalregister.gov</E> and the Government Publishing Office's website at <E T="03">www.Govinfo.gov</E> . <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Tim Shaver, International Program Division/International Operations Branch, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-1704; email <E T="03">tim.shaver@faa.gov</E> . </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> On December 17, 2024, the FAA issued a final rule titled “Foreign Air Operator Certificates Issued by a Regional Safety Oversight Organization” that was published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> at 89 FR 101870. The final rule allowed the FAA to review and, if acceptable to the Administrator, recognize as valid air operator certificates issued by a Regional Safety Oversight Organization to foreign air carriers when the State of the Operator is a member of that Regional Safety Oversight Organization, for purposes of evaluating foreign applicants for operating specifications. The final rule became effective on January 16, 2025. On January 20, 2025, the President issued a memorandum titled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” 90 FR 8249 (Jan. 28, 2025), to direct executive departments and agencies to consider postposing for 60 days the effective date for any rules that had been published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> but had not taken effect for the purpose of reviewing any questions of fact, law, and policy that the rules may raise. While not explicitly subject to the President's memorandum, the FAA is providing notice that it will exercise its enforcement discretion and not enforce the provisions of the FAA's final rule titled “Foreign Air Operator Certificates Issued by a Regional Safety Oversight Organization” until March 20, 2025, to allow the officials appointed or designated by the President to review the final rule to ensure that it is consistent with the law and Administration policies. <SIG> Issued in Washington, DC. <NAME>Taneesha Dobyne Marshall,</NAME> Assistant Chief Counsel for Aviation Litigation, Federal Aviation Administration. </SIG> </SUPLINF> <FRDOC>[FR Doc. 2025-03850 Filed 3-10-25; 8:45 am]</FRDOC> </RULE>