US government under pressure to allow non-scheduled traffic into airport for first time since the 11 September attacks
The US business and general aviation industry is turning up the heat on the US government, demanding it form a workable set of security procedures that will allow non-scheduled traffic to regain access to Washington National, in downtown Washington DC, for the first time since the 11 September attacks.
During the first congressional hearing last week at Signature Flight Support's fixed-base operation at National, representatives from the business and general aviation communities pushed for the Baltimore-Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to be lifted to allow pilots to gain access to the national capital area, including general aviation airport College Park.
The ADIZ was established during the run-up to the Iraq war and is designed to provide an additional buffer beyond the 28km (15nm) no-fly zone around Washington. Another ADIZ was established over New York City at around the same time, as was a temporary flight restriction over downtown Chicago. These have now been lifted.
Testifying before the House aviation subcommittee, industry representatives including the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, argued that scheduled airlines were able to resume services to National shortly after the 11 September ban because security organisations were committed to finding a solution.
This commitment, they argue, has not been extended to general aviation operations. James Coyne, president of NATA, which represents US Part 135 on-demand charter operators, argues that all non-scheduled air carriers that operate aircraft weighing 5,700kg (12,500lb) or more have had in place since 1 April government-approved comprehensive security programmes under the Twelve-Five and Private Charter rules. Although the security measures adopted are equal to those for scheduled carriers, Coyne says, access to National for these operators is being unjustly denied.
Shelley Longmuir, president of NBAA, whose members consist mainly of Part 91 corporate operators, says general aviation traffic at National had accounted for $177 million in economic activity in the Washington area before restrictions were imposed. In the year before the attacks, she says there were about 60,000 general aviation movements at the airport by over 2,000 companies. "The time has come to strike a sophisticated balance between the unique demands for general aviation security at National and the pressing need to allow for economic activity generated by the operation of general aviation aircraft at the airport," she says.
The NBAA is proposing its Secure Access programme as a solution for Part 91 operators, which it says would add eight requirements to the Transportation Security Administration Access Certificate programme and should be the vehicle for giving business aircraft the same operating rights as airlines. Programme requirements include fingerprint-based criminal background checks for flightcrew and flight departments, a ground security programme and real-time threat intelligence sharing between the intelligence community and the operator.
KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
Source: Flight International
