Bolen Issues Statement Reinforcing Need To Reopen Government

The National Business Aviation Association’s President and CEO issued the statement below in response to further restrictions on general and business aviation operations at 12 of the country’s busiest Class B airports:

Ed Bolen, President and CEO of NBAA said, “Last week, restrictions were announced on all aviation operations, including general aviation operations, at 40 U.S. airports. Today, further restrictions were announced that will effectively prohibit business aviation operations at 12 of those airports, disproportionately impacting general aviation, an industry that creates more than a million jobs, generates $340 billion in economic impact and supports humanitarian flights every day.

“Safety is the cornerstone of business aviation, and NBAA is fully committed to ensuring the safety of the NAS,” Bolen continued. “Among the ways we will do that is to ensure business aviation operators have an understanding of these restrictions and their implications.

“Above all, this moment underscores the need to reopen the government to serve all Americans,” Bolen emphasized. “NBAA stands with the rest of the aviation community in calling upon Congress to end the shutdown immediately, and for the NOTAMs to be repealed when the government reopens.”

The restrictions are laid out in NOTAMs published for each of the twelve airports affected. They are:

• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS)
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Exemptions include based aircraft, emergency, medical, law enforcement, firefighting, military, or other FAA authorized flights. Additionally, business aircraft operators should be prepared for delays at all of the 40 airports affected by the drawdown in flight operations or by controller staffing issues.

NBAA joined with the other stakeholders in the Modern Skies Coalition urging Congress to end the shutdown without delay.

FMI:  nbaa.org/ , modernskies.com/