§ 96.6 Irregularities, deductions, fines, and accidents.

(a) Irregularities. Irregular handling of mail by airline carrier personnel shall be reported on Form 2759, "Report of Irregular Handling of Airmail," by the postal employee who observes the irregularity or who is informed of irregular performance through receipt at a postal unit of the post office accounting copies of Form 2734, "Airmail Exception Record," prepared by the air carrier. § 96.25. Listed below are the types of irregularities that will be reported.

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(1) Damage to mail or equipment while in the custody of an air carrier. (2) Failure to load.

(3) Failure to unload.

(4) Carried by. Any overcarries on interchange trips involving mail for the interchange point or connection mail due off at the interchange point will be charged to air carrier from whom received. If another air carrier was actually responsible for the mishandling, the air carrier receiving Form 2759 report may forward the form to the other carrier and notify the distribution and traffic manager concerned of the referral.

(5) Loaded in error.
(6) Removed in error.
(7) Failure to transfer.

(8) Delayed delivery to postal unit. (9) Refusals and removals. See § 96.21(a) for regulations regarding airmail priority.

(10) Failure to notify postal authorities. See § 96.2. Includes instances when a carrier has failed significantly to cooperate by not giving notice of nonoperation of scheduled service or of late operation, resulting in additional motor vehicle or mail messenger costs.

(11) Repetitive infractions. Report serious infractions involving irregularities of a repetitive nature which may necessitate assessment of more substantial fines than usual. Includes deficiencies in air carrier operations that have an adverse effect on the airmail service and that have not been corrected despite repeated efforts to secure the necessary remedial action.

(b) Deductions. Form 2734 provides for the adjustment of compensation for service ordered and paid for but not performed.

(c) Fines. Air carriers transporting mail must observe all applicable postal laws and all applicable regulations is

sued by the Post Office Department. Air carriers may be subject to fines and deductions for failure to comply therewith.

(d) Accidents. When an aircraft accident occurs, there is no legal obligation on the part of the postal service to pay the air carriers' transportation charges for mail that is destroyed. Air transportation charges shall only be paid for recovered mail from the city where emplaned on that carrier's system to the airport nearest the point of accident. Therefore, since the regional controller in the region originating the mail will pay the air transportation charges. Form 2734, Airmaii Exception Record, must be prepared to recover the payment for that portion of the incompleted service. § 96.7 Correspondence concerning air

service.

(a) Local matters. Correspondence on local operations matters of mutual concern shall be handled directly between the local carrier and local air stop postal unit heads or field service representatives concerned. Matters coming within the scope of paragraph (b) of this section shall be referred to the distribution and traffic manager concerned.

(b) Regional matters. Correspondence to and from air carriers relating to policy matters, airline schedules, operational matters, fining procedures, quarters, mileages and transport rates, irregularities and changes in dispatch billing procedures and forms, omissions and failures of carriers to perform required service, division of mail between carriers, service requirements, actions involving CAB orders and rulings, first-class mail by air, and other matters of regional nature shall be conducted by the distribution and traffic managers within the scope of regional delegations. Only those matters of these types that are of interregional impact or of departmental concern as specified elsewhere in regulations and those matters which the distribution and traffic manager considers will require departmental decision shall be forwarded to the Post Office Department.

[26 FR. 11638, Dec. 6, 1961, as amended at 26 F.R. 12219, Dec. 21, 1961]

(b) As used in Subparts A, B and C of this part:

(1) "Air Carrier" means a citizen or company of the United States authorized by the Civil Aeronautics Board to engage in interstate air transportation.

(2) "Interstate Air Transportation" means the carriage of mail by aircraft between a place in any State of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and a place in any other State of the United States, or the District of Columbia; or between places in the same State of the United States or between places in the same territory or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia.

(3) "Mail" means United States or foreign transit mail.

Subpart B-Air Star Route Service § 96.12 Description.

Air star route service is established and operated under contracts for air transportation of any and all classes of mail in areas where such service is in the public interest between points where the Civil Aeronautics Board has not authorized the transportation of mail. The service may be justified by the nature of the terrain or the impracticability or inadequacy of surface transportation. Air star route contracts are awarded by the Postmaster General when the cost is considered reasonable and compatible with the service to be provided.

§ 96.13 Contracts.

(a) Obtaining bids-(1) Advertisements. After obtaining a certification from the Civil Aeronautics Board that the proposed route does not conflict with the development of air transportation, an advertisement is issued by the Department inviting proposals for air transportation of mail between the points and on the terms stated. Copies of the advertisement are furnished to postmasters for posting at terminal offices.

(2) Requirements of bidders. Bidders must meet the following requirements:

(i) Eligibility. (a) No proposal for a contract for air star route service shall be considered unless the bidder is a resident of, or is qualified to do business as a common carrier by air, in a State within which one or more points to be served under the proposed contract are located. The term State as used here includes the several States, and the District of Columbia.

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(b) For further eligibility requirements, of § 94.3 (c) (2) (i) this chapter. (ii) Bonds. See 94.3(c) (2) (iii) of this chapter.

(3) Obtaining proposal forms. § 94.3(c) (5) of this chapter.

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(4) Submitting bids. See § 94.3 (c) (6) of this chapter.

(b) Award of contract. See § 94.3 (d) of this chapter.

(c) Application of contract regulations. Where there is no conflict, all laws and regulations governing surface star routes in general apply to contracts made under the air star route law.

(d) Payments. See § 94.3 (h) of this chapter.

(e) Cancellation of air star route contract. A contract shall be canceled by the Post Office Department upon the issuance by the Civil Aeronautics Board of an authorization to any air carrier to engage in the transportation of mail by aircraft between any of the points named in the air star route contract.

§ 96.14 Protection of mail.

The contractor is required to take all necessary steps to protect the mail in accordance with the terms of the advertisement.

§ 96.15 Reports and records.

Postmasters at terminal points must maintain such records and submit such reports as may be directed by the distribution and traffic manager.

Subpart C-Forms and Procedures for Dispatching Airmail

§ 96.19 Form 2729, airmail dispatch record.

(a) Description. Form 2729 covers airmail dispatched to all domestic air carriers operating within the fifty United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and to Canada. It is the basic document from which payment to the original carrier of dispatch is calculated.

(b) Preparation-(1) Who prepares. The form is prepared in four-part sets by the designated clerk at the airport mail facility or, at nonairport mail facility points, by the dispatching clerk at the post office.

(2) Trip identification—(i) Route number. Enter the route number of the air carrier to which the mail is dispatched.

(ii) Trip number. Enter the trip number of actual dispatch.

(iii) Origin trip date. Enter the scheduled date of origin of the trip.

(iv) Today's date. Enter the date on which the trip of dispatch is scheduled to depart from your airport.

(v) Origin code. Enter the official airline code of the airport from which the mail is due to be dispatched. When more than one postal unit prepares Form 2729 for dispatch through the same airport, refer to Official Airmail Index for airport codes to be used by each office.

(3) Routin g—(i) Destination. (a) Using the States dispatch scheme and other applicable pouching instructions, enter in code the final airline destination of the dispatches.

(b) Show each destination in station order of removal from the original trip of dispatch. Listing from left to right, use a separate block for each destination. Continue the listing in the second row of blocks, if necessary.

(c) Enter under the proper destination mail which is labeled to that point, mail which is scheduled to continue from that point by surface transportation, and mail for another air carrier when the transfer is to be effected through the airport mail facility. Use the individual actual weights indicated on the labels of pouches, sacks, and outside parcels except where permission has been granted to bulk weigh mail on platform scales direct to the air carrier. Where bulk weighing has been approved, or where bulk entries are to be listed (for example, the recording on the form of a consolidated entry of an accumulation of pieces listed on preliminary work sheets), it is necessary only that the total pieces and weight be entered in the space provided at the bottom of the respective "destination" column. Do not identify pouches, sacks, outside parcels, or register as such on this form.

(ii) Transfer point and connection. Enter in code according to the scheduled routing:

(a) Stations served by trip of dispatch. Enter only the destination.

(b) Stations served by the air carrier dispatch but not by the trip of dispatch. Enter the destination and the first transfer point.

(c) Routing involving connection to a trip of another air carrier. Enter the destination and the interline transfer point, plus the route and trip numbers of

the second air carrier. This applies also to interchange trips.

(d) Routing via two trips of initial air carrier, plus trip of another air carrier. Enter the destination, the first intraline transfer point, and the interline transfer point, plus the route and trip numbers of the second air carrier.

(e) Routing involving two interline transfers after air carrier of initial dispatch. Enter the destination and the interline transfer point, plus the route and trip numbers of the second air carrier. The service to be performed by the third air carrier must be shown on Form 2733, "Interline Air Mail Record." (See § 96.21 of this chapter for instructions on preparation of Form 2733.)

(4) Equalization dispatches. (i) Trips due to carry equalized destination mail are identified in the airmail States dispatch scheme by an x, in parentheses, ahead of the trip listing. Following the trip of dispatch, the equalized destinations are identified by an x, in parentheses, preceding the letter code of the destination. An x, in parentheses, will also appear between the letter code of the transfer point and the route number of the interline carrier. This indicates the need for an equalized Form 2733 for the carrier receiving the mail at the transfer point. The following is an example of an equalized dispatch from MKC to CLE via AM 9-40 as it would appear in the MKC States Dispatch Scheme:

(ii) Forms 2729 must be identified as follows: When schemes show an r in parentheses at (1) and (2), as in the example in subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, an x will be inserted in the E block on the "conn" line for the equalized destination; i.e., CLE.

(5) Completion. (i) Total the pieces and weights for each column, even if more than one column is used to list the mail dispatched to the same destination.

(ii) Total the subtotals of all columns, and enter in the "Grand Total" space.

(iii) Recap all columns under the actual destinations served by the trip of dispatch. Enter each airport served, with the appropriate total, in the righthand column.

(iv) Total the Recap column, and verify against the previously entered Grand Total. If more than one form has been used, the Recap and Grand Total entries must appear on the final form. (See subparagraph (6) of this paragraph.)

(v) At nonairport mail facility points, the post office employees preparing Form 2729 will not total the "Dest," "Recap," and "Grand Total" columns if the mail messenger or motor vehicle service driver picks up additional mail at the railroad station or other postal unit en route to the airport. On arrival at the airport, the mail must be weighed and proper entry must be made on Form 2729 by the messenger or driver. This instruction applies also to Form 2733, if involved.

(vi) Below the "Grand Total" space, enter the total number of sets of Forms 2733 prepared for the interline transfers scheduled to be made from the trip.

(vii) In the "Mail Ready" space, enter the time at which the mail and forms are ready for delivery to the air carrier at the airport. At nonairport mail facility points, this time must be entered by the mail messenger or vehicle service driver. The messenger or driver must obtain the signature of the receiving air carrier representative at the time the mail is delivered.

(6) Continuation forms. If the volume of mail is too large to be listed on one Form 2729, use a new numbered form, line through but do not obliterate the printed number, and write in the serial number of the first form. Number the sets consecutively, identifying the last by adding x after the number.

(c) Labeling pouches, sacks, and outsides. Pouches, sacks, and outside parcels listed on Form 2729 must be identified so that airline and postal personnel handling the mail enroute can provide the transportation ordered by the dispatching office. Before delivering the mail to the air carrier prepare the labels of pouches and sacks to indicate final airline destination and the route over which it is to travel. Attach Label 53, "Airmail Parcel Routing Sticker," for each air parcel dispatched outside. The information on pouch and sack labels and Label 53 for outside parcels must coincide with the corresponding entries on Form 2729 as follows:

(1) For mail billed to the final destination over the routes of two or more air

(d) Distribution of copies (1) First and second copies. Deliver to the air carrier with the mail. (If voided or mutilated, do not deliver to air carrier but combine with third copy and send to regional controller.)

(2) Third copy. Send to the designated regional controller daily. Include the third copies of all forms that have been voided, mutilated, etc. Since all of these forms are serially numbered, they must be accounted for. Note-At nonairport mail facility points, the first three copies of Form 2729 must accompany the mail: After obtaining the carrier's signature, the mail messenger or vehicle service driver must return the third copy to the post office.

(3) Fourth copy. This is the dispatching office copy.

NOTE: In the Alaskan Service, Form 2713-A "Alaskan Airmail Dispatch Record" is used in lieu of the dispatch list.

(e) Corrections to Form 2729. Any corrections to Form 2729 shall be made prior to separating and distributing the four parts of the form. Neither postal nor air carrier personnel shall make cor

rections on any part of Form 2729 after the form has been separated and distributed.

(f) Departure Time. Postal units shall spot check actual departure time against Mail Ready time on Form 2729 to assure that unreported delays are not occurring.

[26 F.R. 11638, Dec. 6, 1961, as amended at 26 F.R. 12220, Dec. 21, 1961]

§ 96.20 Form 2713-A, Alaskan airmail dispatch record.

(a) Description. Form 2713-A is used at all postal units served by intraAlaska air carriers for recording the dispatch of mail. (See § 96.5(c) (3).)

(b) Preparation. Postal clerks at air stop post offices shall prepare Form 2713A in three-part sets, as follows:

(1) Route number. Enter the route number of the air carrier to which the mail is to be dispatched.

(2) Trip number. Enter the number of the carrier's trip or flight as shown in the schedule designated for airmail transportation.

(3) Carrier. Use the letter code of the airline.

(4) From post office at. Use the alphabetical code of the airport serving your office. (For proper three-letter code, see Airmail Scheme.)

(5) Month, day, year. Enter the date mail is given to air carrier.

(6) Time. Enter time when mail was delivered to carrier representative.

(7) Mail for unloading at. Enter the codes of air stops which are served by the trip to which mail is dispatched. Enter only those points designated for

service.

(8) Pieces. Enter the total number of pouches, sacks, and outside parcels for each destination.

(9) Weight. Enter the total weight of pouches, sacks, and outside parcels for each destination.

(10) Totals. Add number of pieces and enter total under Pieces column; add weights and enter total in the Weight column. Verify total pieces with mail count.

(11) Postmaster. The postmaster shall sign form in space provided, or when postmaster is not available, the postal clerk shall sign the postmaster's name, and initial.

(c) Delivering mail and Form 2713-A to air carrier. The dispatching clerk shall deliver mail and all three copies of