For the purposes of this part:

Authorized representatives of the DOT means any persons, including special agents and auditors, designated by the DOT to perform inspections, audits, or examinations within the purview of the DOT's authority.

Certificated air carrier means the holder of a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Department of Transportation under 49 U.S.C. 41102 or a certificate for all-cargo air service issued by the Department of Transportation under 49 U.S.C. 41103.

Final adjudication means the expiration date of the last possible period of review or reconsideration of a given case, by the DOT or by a court, that is provided by applicable statute or regulation.

Open mail rate period means the time interval between the date of institution of a new mail rate proceeding or the start of service over a new route for which no mail rate has previously been fixed, and the date upon which a DOT order setting the final mail rate becomes legally effective.

Pending case means any case that the DOT is empowered to hear before its final adjudication.

Records include all documents that are related to, or constitute integral links in developing the history of, or facts regarding, financial transactions or physical operations of a particular segment, operating division, or entire system of the carrier's operations. The term includes any copy of initially prepared documents which bear approvals, comments, or notations which were added and are of significance to a full explanation of recorded facts or information. The term records means not only accounting records in a limited technical sense but all other evidentiary accounts of events such as memoranda, correspondence, working sheets, tabulating equipment listings punched cards, computer-produced listings, microfilm, and magnetic storage media (i.e., magnetic tapes, disks). The term records also means microform and/or tape reproductions of documents made as authorized by this subpart. In addition, the term records includes any of the above-described materials coming into the possession of the air carrier through merger, consolidation, succession, transfer, or other acquisition.

Supporting papers (records) means any group of documentary papers, such as memoranda, correspondence, working sheets, etc., that assist in upholding the accuracy or clarity of related records.