TSA Issues General Aviation Rules

The Transportation Security Administration last month issued a report detailing general aviation security guidelines—developed with general aviation industry representatives—that range from perimeter fencing and controlled access points to surveillance and communications systems. Thus far, GA airports have not been given security mandates by TSA, except for those facilities located within the restricted zone around Washington, D.C. "TSA has not taken a position that general aviation airports and aircraft are a threat," the report said. "However, as vulnerabilities within other areas of aviation have been reduced, general aviation may be perceived as a more attractive target." TSA said there are 200,000 GA aircraft in the United States that annually carry 145 million passengers. Roughly 58 percent of all GA flights are conducted for corporate travel.

In issuing the new guidelines, TSA recognized that different facilities require varying levels of security enhancements. "For example, a privately owned landing strip in a rural area would not need to implement the same security measures as a large corporate general aviation airport near a major metropolitan area," the agency suggested. TSA therefore developed an airport characteristics measurement tool enabling airport officials to assess the vulnerability and level of risk for individual facilities. Other than proximity to populous areas—which are defined as metro areas with at least 100,000 people—and sensitive sites, such as military, chemical and nuclear installations, TSA's guidelines also differentiate GA airports by the number and type of aircraft that use the facilities, runway size and several other factors.

Though TSA stressed the guidelines do not include regulatory language or mandates, the National Air Transportation Association—which was part of the advisory committee formed by TSA—said "early indications from some states are that these recommendations could be codified into state law."