(a) This system of accounts and reports is designed to permit limited contraction or expansion to reflect the varying needs and capacities of different air carriers without impairing basic accounting comparability as between air carriers. In its administration three air carrier groups, designated Group I, Group II, and Group III, respectively (see section 04), are established by the BTS. This grouping will be reviewed from time to time upon petition of individual air carriers or by initiative of the BTS with the view of a possible regrouping of the air carriers.

(b) Under the system of accounts prescribed, balance sheet elements are accounted for by all air carrier groups within a fixed uniform pattern of specific accounts. All profit and loss elements are accounted for within specific objective accounts established for each air carrier group resulting from dual classifications, designated for each air carrier group, which are descriptive of both basic areas of financial activity, or functional operation, and objective served. The profit and loss elements of the three air carrier groups can be reduced to broad objectives and general or functional classifications which are comparable for all air carrier groups. Both balance sheet and profit and loss accounts and account groupings are designed, in general, to embrace all activities, both air transport and other than air transport, in which the air carrier engages and provide for the separation of elements identifiable exclusively with other than air transport activities. Profit and loss elements which are recorded during the current accounting year are subclassified as between

(c) In order to afford air carriers as much flexibility and freedom as possible in establishing ledger and subsidiary accounts to meet their individual needs, a minimum number of account subdivisions have been prescribed in this Uniform System of Accounts. It is intended, however, that each air carrier, in maintaining its accounting records, will provide subaccount and subsidiary account segregations of accounting elements which differ in nature of accounting characteristics, in a manner which will render individual elements readily discernible and traceable throughout the accounting system, and will provide for relating profit and loss elements to applicable balance sheet counterparts.

(a) A four digit control number is assigned for each balance sheet and profit and loss account. Each balance sheet account is numbered sequentially, within blocks, designating basic balance sheet classifications. The first two digits of the four digit code assigned to each profit and loss account denote a detailed area of financial activity or functional operation. The first two digits, thus assigned to each profit and loss account, are numbered sequentially within blocks, designating more general classifications of financial activity and functional operation. The second two digits assigned to profit and loss accounts denote objective classifications.

(b) A fifth digit, appended as a decimal, has been assigned for internal control by the BTS of prescribed subdivisions of the primary objective balance sheet and profit and loss classifications. A different fifth digit code number from that assigned by the BTS may be adopted for internal recordkeeping by the air carrier provided the prescribed subclassification of objective accounts is not impaired and the code number assigned by the BTS is employed in reporting to the BTS on Form 41 Reports.

(a) The general books of account and all books, records, and memoranda which support in any way the entries therein shall be kept in such manner as to provide at any time full information relating to any account. The entries in each account shall be supported by such detailed information as will render certain the identification of all facts essential to a verification of the nature and character of each entry and its proper classification under the prescribed Uniform System of Accounts. Registers, or other appropriate records, shall be maintained of the history and nature of each note receivable and each note payable.

(b) The books and records referred to herein include not only accounting records in a limited technical sense, but all other records such as organization tables and charts, internal accounting manuals and revisions thereto, minute books, stock books, reports, cost distributions and other accounting work sheets, correspondence, memoranda, etc., which may constitute necessary links in developing the history of, or facts regarding, any accounting or financial transaction.

(c) All books, records and memoranda shall be preserved and filed in such manner as to readily permit the audit and examination thereof by representatives of the DOT. All books, records, and memoranda shall be housed or stored in such manner as to afford protection from loss, theft, or damage by fire, flood or otherwise and no such books and records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of, except in conformance with 14 CFR part 249 for the preservation of records.

(a) Separate accounting records shall be maintained for each air transport entity for which separate reports to the BTS are required to be made by sections 21(g) and for each separate corporate or organizational division of the air carrier. For purposes of this Uniform System of Accounts and Reports, each nontransport entity conducting an activity which is not related to the air carrier's transport activities and each transport-related activity or group of activities qualifying as a nontransport venture pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, whether or not formally organized within a distinct organizational unit, shall be treated as a separately operated organizational division; except that provisions of this paragraph and paragraph (b) shall not apply to leasing activities.

(b) As a general rule, any activity or group of activities comprising a transport-related service provided for in transport-related revenue and expense accounts 09 through 18 shall be considered a separate nontransport venture under circumstances in which either:

(c) The records for each required accounting entity shall be maintained with sufficient particularity to permit a determination that the requirements of section 2-1 have been complied with.

(a) The accounting provisions contained in this part are based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Persons subject to this part are authorized to implement, as prescribed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, newly issued GAAP pronouncements until and unless the Director, Office of Airline Information (OAI), issues an Accounting Directive making an initial determination that implementation of a new pronouncement would adversely affect the Department's programs.

(b) The Director, OAI, shall review each newly issued GAAP pronouncement to determine its affect on the Department's regulatory programs. If adopting a specific change in GAAP would adversely affect the Department's programs, the Director will issue the results of the review in the form of an Accounting Directive. The directive will state the reasons why the particular change should not be incorporated in the uniform system of accounts and contain accounting guidance for maintaining the integrity of the Department's air carrier accounting provisions.

(c) Objections and comments relating to the Department's decision not to implement a change in generally accepted principles may be addressed to Director, Office of Airline Information, K-25, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. If significant objections are raised urging adoption of a particular GAAP pronouncement, the Department will institute a rulemaking.

(a) The provisions of this section shall apply to each person controlling an air carrier, each person controlled by the air carrier, as well as each transport entity and organizational division of the air carrier for which separate records must be maintained pursuant to section 1-6.

(b) Each transaction shall be recorded and placed initially under accounting controls of the particular air transport entity or organizational division of the air carrier or member of an affiliated group to which directly traceable. If applicable to two or more accounting entities, a proration shall be made from the entity of original recording to other participating entities on such basis that the statements of financial condition and operating results of each entity are comparable to those of distinct legal entities. The allocations involved shall include all debits and credits associated with each entity.

(c) For purposes of this section, investments by the air carrier in resources or facilities used in common by the regulated air carrier and those transport-related revenue services defined as separate nontransport ventures under section 1-6(b) shall not be allocated between such entities but shall be reflected in total in the appropriate accounts of the entity which predominately uses those investments. Where the entity of predominate use is a nontransport venture, the air carrier shall reflect the investment in account 1510.3, Advances to Associated Companies.

(d) For purposes of this Uniform System of Accounts and Reports, all revenues shall be assigned to or apportioned between accounting entities on bases which will fully recognize the services provided by each entity, and expenses, or costs, shall be apportioned between accounting entities on such bases as will result:

(a) Revenues and expenses attributable to a single natural objective account or functional classification shall be assigned accordingly.

(b) Revenue and expense items which are common to two or more natural objective accounts shall be recorded in the objective accounts to which they predominantly relate.

(c) Expense items contributing to more than one function shall be charged to the general overhead functions to which applicable except that where only incidental contribution is made to more than a single function an item may be included in the function to which primarily related, provided such function is not distorted by including an aggregation of amounts applicable to other functions. When assignment of expense items on the basis of the primary activity to which related does not in the aggregate result in a fair presentation of the expenses applicable to each function, apportionment shall be made between functions based upon a study of the contribution to each function during a representative period.

(a) The accounting year of each air carrier subject to this Uniform System of Accounts shall be the calendar year unless otherwise approved by the BTS.

(b) Each air carrier shall keep its financial accounts and records on a full accrual basis for each quarter so that all transactions, as nearly as may reasonably be ascertained, shall be fully reflected in the air carrier's books for the quarter in which revenues have been earned and the costs attaching to the revenues so earned in each quarter have been incurred independently of the incidence of sales or purchases and settlement with debtors or creditors.

(c) Expenditures incurred during the current accounting year which demonstrably benefit operations to be performed during subsequent accounting years to a significant extent shall be deferred and amortized to the period in which the related operations are performed when of sufficient magnitude to distort the accounting results of the year in which incurred.

(d) Expenditures charged directly or amortized to operations within one accounting year shall not be reversed in a subsequent accounting year and reamortized or charged directly against operations of subsequent years except that retroactive adjustments are permitted where necessary to conform with adjustments required by the DOT for ratemaking purposes.

(a) Revenue accounting practices shall conform to the provisions of account 2160, Air Traffic Liability.

(b) Each route air carrier shall physically verify the reliability of its passenger revenue accounting practice at least once each accounting year.

(c) For those carriers who use the yield or average-fare method to determine earned revenue, the analysis supporting the verification shall include:

(d) For those carriers who use the sales-lift match method to determine earned revenue, the analysis supporting the physical inventory verification shall include: