At a United States
Senate hearing on general aviation security and operations
Thursday, NATA President James K. Coyne discussed the efforts NATA
has made to improve general aviation security since the September
11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as well as the difficulties the
industry has faced resulting from ineffective and burdensome
security restrictions imposed by the federal government.
Testifying before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, chaired by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), Coyne noted the
successful participation of NATA members in the
government-sponsored Twelve-Five Standard Security Program (TFSSP),
a security program certified by the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) for aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more.
He also described the difficulties program participants face in
getting proper recognition for complying with the program’s
often-expensive requirements.
“These Twelve-Five operators have invested thousands of
dollars and man-hours to comply with security mandates and yet are
treated exactly the same as operators without security
programs… NATA believes that non-scheduled carriers in
compliance with a TSA-approved security program should receive
similar airspace and access benefits as the scheduled
carriers,” Coyne stated.
Coyne also took the
opportunity to detail the struggles non-scheduled operators face
when the government issues temporary flight restrictions (TFRs)
around a particular area, which usually closes to general aviation
any airport in the range of the TFR. He mentioned the success NATA
has had in obtaining permission for cargo-only operators
participating in the TFSSP to take off and land in airspace
restricted by a TFR. Coyne called on Congress to expand the policy
to include passenger aircraft participating in the program as
well.
Coyne praised the Department of Homeland Security’s recent
decision to implement a program allowing for the resumption of
non-scheduled operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport (DCA) and thanked officials both in the Congress and the
Administration for their efforts to bring back general aviation to
the airport. “I am enthusiastically looking forward to this
Labor Day, when Signature Flight Support begins to welcome its
first charter and business aircraft in nearly four years,”
Coyne said in his statement.
While praising the decision to reopen DCA, Coyne also voiced
some concerns about the potential cost to comply with the
requirements necessary to fly into and out of DCA. Coyne argued
that the provision requiring an armed Law Enforcement Officer (LEO)
should be expanded to allow local law enforcement aboard the
aircraft. He asserted that by broadening the pool of qualified LEOs
aircraft operators would more readily find officers to accompany
the flights while not lessening the security of the overall
operation. Coyne stated, “There is no reason why local LEOs
cannot be counted on to perform the same tasks as federally trained
officers on these operations. Armed law enforcement officials are
considered one of the last lines of defense on these flights, and
offering a wider pool from which to find qualified officers
benefits both the operator and the government.”
In regards to the compensation of a potential LEO, Coyne asked
that the Department of Homeland Security share at least partial
responsibility for compensating the officer. “The association
feels that placing the burden for compensating these officials on
aviation businesses will undoubtedly serve as a deterrent for using
the airport. The federal government should take responsibility for
this compensation, as it is an issue of both local and national
security. The costs associated with paying for an armed officer for
what could amount to a significant period of time will make it
quite difficult for many air carriers to participate in the
program. NATA notes that scheduled airlines are not required to pay
a specific fee when LEOs serve on their flights.”
Coyne concluded by declaring his desire for as many qualified
operators as possible to use DCA and called on the Department to
ensure that the security requirements do not act as a deterrent for
using the airport.