A coalition of industry associations has presented several recommendations on improving general aviation (GA) security to the new US Transport Security Administration (TSA).
The move is aimed at positively identifying pilots and passengers and preventing unauthorised use of private aircraft.
The recommendations are the results of a vulnerability assessment performed on behalf of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Helicopter Association International and the National Business Aviation Association.
The associations recommend the identity of individuals renting or purchasing an aircraft, or joining a flying club, be validated against a government-issued photo identity card and suggest the TSA creates a system to check names electronically against the government's terrorist watch list.
The TSA should also develop and distribute a profile to identify individuals requiring additional scrutiny.
In the wake of 11 September, the US GA industry was hit hard by airspace restrictions which lingered long after commercial operations were allowed to resume.
One reason some airspace has remained closed to private aircraft has been the difficulty of preventing their unauthorised use.
Source: Flight International
