Title 19

SECTION 122.14

122.14 Landing rights airport.

§ 122.14 Landing rights airport.

(a) Permission to land. Permission to land at a landing rights airport may be given as follows:

(1) Scheduled flight. The scheduled aircraft of a scheduled airline may be allowed to land at a landing rights airport. Permission is given by the director of the port, or his representative, at the port nearest to which first landing is made.

(i) Additional flights, charters or changes in schedule - Scheduled aircraft. If a new carrier plans to set up a new flight schedule, or an established carrier makes changes in its approved schedule, landing rights may be granted by the port director.

(ii) Additional or charter flight. If a carrier or charter operator wants to begin operating or to add flights, application must be made to the port director for landing rights. All requests must be made not less than 48 hours before the intended time of arrival, except in emergencies. If the request is oral, it must be put in writing before or at the time of arrival.

(2) Private aircraft. The pilots of private aircraft are required to secure permission to land from CBP following transmission of the advance notice of arrival via an electronic data interchange system approved by CBP, pursuant to § 122.22. Prior to departure as defined in § 122.22(a), from a foreign port or place, the pilot of a private aircraft must receive a message from CBP that landing rights have been granted for that aircraft at a particular airport.

(3) Other aircraft. Following advance notice of arrival pursuant to § 122.31, all other aircraft may be allowed to land at a landing rights airport by the director of the port of entry or station nearest the first place of landing.

(4) Denial or withdrawal of landing rights. Permission to land at a landing rights airport may be denied or permanently or temporarily withdrawn for any of the following reasons:

(i) Appropriate and/or sufficient Federal Government personnel are not available;

(ii) Proper inspectional facilities or equipment are not available at, or maintained by, the requested airport;

(iii) The entity requesting the landing rights has a history of failing to abide by appropriate instructions given by a CBP officer;

(iv) Reasonable grounds exist to believe that applicable Federal rules and regulations pertaining to safety, including cargo safety and security, CBP, or other inspectional activities may not be adhered to; or

(v) CBP has deemed it necessary to deny landing rights to an aircraft.

(5) Appeal of denial or withdrawal of landing rights for commercial scheduled aircraft as defined in section 122.1(d). In the event landing rights are denied or subsequently permanently withdrawn by CBP, within 30 days of such decision, the affected party may file a written appeal with the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Headquarters.

(6) Emergency or forced landing. Permission to land is not required for an emergency or forced landing (covered under § 122.35).

(b) Payment of expenses. In the case of an arrival at a location outside the limits of a port of entry, the owner, operator or person in charge of the aircraft must pay any added charges for inspecting the aircraft, passengers, employees and merchandise when landing rights are given (see §§ 24.17 and 24.22(e) of this chapter).

(c) Payment of expenses. In the case of an arrival at a location outside the limits of a port of entry, the owner, operator or person in charge of the aircraft shall pay any added charges for inspecting the aircraft, passengers, employees and merchandise when landing rights are given (see §§ 24.17 and 24.22(e) of this chapter).

(d) Denial or withdrawal of landing rights. Permission to land at a landing rights airport may be denied or withdrawn for any of the following reasons:

(1) Appropriate and/or sufficient Federal Government personnel are not available;

(2) Proper inspectional facilities or equipment are not available at, or maintained by, the requested airport;

(3) The entity requesting services has failed to abide by appropriate instructions of a Customs officer;

(4) Advance cargo information has not been received as provided in § 122.48a;

(5) Other reasonable grounds exist to believe that Federal rules and regulations pertaining to safety, including cargo safety and security, and Customs, or other inspectional activities have not been followed; or

(6) The granting of the requested landing rights would not be in the best interests of the Government.

(e) Appeal of denial or withdrawal. In the event landing rights are denied or withdrawn by the port director, a written appeal of the decision may be made to the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Headquarters.

[T.D. 88-12, 53 FR 9292, Mar. 22, 1988. Redesignated and amended by T.D. 92-90, 57 FR 43397, Sept. 21, 1992; T.D. 95-77, 60 FR 50020, Sept. 27, 1995; T.D. 99-27, 64 FR 13675, Mar. 22, 1999; CBP Dec. 03-32, 68 FR 68170, Dec. 5, 2003; CBP Dec. 08-43, 73 FR 68309, Nov. 18, 2008]