TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST.

SEC. 516. [49 U.S.C. 44720 note] TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST. (a) In General.—The Administrator shall permit a covered air carrier to operate to or from a location in a noncontiguous State without a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast or Meteorological Aerodrome Report if— (1) such location is determined to be under visual meteorological conditions; (2) a current Area Forecast, supplemented by other local weather observations or reports, is available; and (3) an alternate airport that has an available Terminal Aerodrome Forecast and weather report is specified. (b) Procedures.—A covered air carrier shall— (1) have approved procedures for dispatch or release and enroute weather evaluation; and (2) operate under instrument flight rules enroute to the destination. (c) Limitation.—Without a written finding of necessity, based on objective and historical evidence of imminent threat to safety, the Administrator shall not promulgate any operation specification, policy, or guidance document pursuant to this section that is more restrictive than, or requires procedures that are not expressly stated in, the regulations. (d) Covered Air Carrier Defined.—In this section, the term “covered air carrier” means an air carrier operating in a noncontiguous State under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.