The resumption of general aviation operations at Washington Reagan National Airport is several steps closer to reality following recent legislative and regulatory actions. The Transportation Security Administration yesterday outlined a plan that would permit "certain pre-cleared general aviation operations, including corporate aircraft, charter flights, and on-demand operations" to use the airport, which has been off-limits to non-commercial flights since the Sept. 11 attacks nearly four years ago. General aviation flight operations would resume at the airport within 90 days of final rules being published.
TSA's DCA Access Standard Security Program--developed in conjunction with various federal agencies--allows 48 general aviation flights into the airport per day, down from roughly 95 before 9/11. All GA flights into DCA must either depart from or first stop at one of 12 gateway airports: Boston Logan, Chicago Midway, Houston Hobby, Lexington, Ky., Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma, Teterboro, N.J., West Palm Beach, Fla. and White Plains, N.Y.
Law enforcement personnel must be aboard each flight and TSA has authority to inspect all GA crews, passengers and related property. The agency also detailed other security measures and said it could prohibit private flights around the Capitol Region at any time, based on threat levels.
TSA's announcement followed repeated requests from the business aviation community and legislative action calling for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to develop such a plan. Specifically, the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation Committee recently approved a bill first introduced in February
(BTN, March 21) and now awaiting action on the House floor. A similar provision was contained in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006, approved this month by the House and now being considered by the U.S. Senate.