DOT has asked several questions to make sure it understands shared-use arrangements correctly, and that its proposed regulations are appropriate and practical given how these arrangments actually work. You can see the text of the proposed rule here: §382.57(b) (air carriers); § 27.71(j) (airports)
- What is the current number of automated check-in kiosks that are proprietary, that are jointly owned, leased, or controlled with airports, and that are jointly owned, leased, or controlled by carriers only?
- Is the term “shared-use automated airport kiosk” adequately described in the rule text (§382.3)?
- What are the most common kiosk ownership arrangements at airports?
- Who typically is responsible for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of shared-use automated kiosks at airports?
- What are the procurement and maintenance costs incurred by carriers?
- for proprietary automated airport kiosks?
- that provide the shared-use automated kiosk hardware at an airport?
- that collaborate with shared-use automated airport kiosks using compatible software and data sets?
- What are the procurement and maintenance costs incurred by airports for shared-use automated kiosks?
- Are there potential difficulties associated with meeting the requirement [that airports and airlines share responsibility for compliant shared-use kiosks] given that responsibility for the hardware and middleware components of shared-use automated kiosks generally falls to airports and the responsibility for compatible software applications and data sets to carriers?
- If a single carrier is the provider of shared-use automated kiosks at a given airport, is a written agreement needed between the provider carrier and the collaborating carriers concerning the accessibility and maintenance of the kiosks? If so, would additional time be needed after the rule’s effective date for carriers to enter into such a written agreement?
To answer these questions or comment generally on the shared-use kiosk issues, please return to the Which Kiosks? When? post.