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ASC Monthly Update
 NATA News

##Date##                                                                                                Volume 5 Issue 2

NATA Airline Services Council 

NATA formed the Airline Services Council (NATA ASC) to further the interests of companies that provide services to scheduled air carriers as their primary business. The primary goal of the NATA ASC is to provide a voice within the public policy arena, especially in terms of issues that impact their viability and profitability..

 

 
 
 
 

 
Upcoming Events

NATA Safety 1st Management System (SMS) Workshop – Dulles, VA - March 2, 2009

 

ACSF Safety Symposium - Ashburn, VA - March 3-4, 2009

 

NATA Education Week at Aviation Industry Expo - Las Vegas, NV - March 9-11, 2009

 

Environmental Compliance Seminar - Windsor Locks, CT - May 11, 2009

 

Line Service Supervisor Training - Windsor Locks, CT - May 12, 2009

 

How To Build A More Successful FBO - Windsor Locks, CT - May 14, 2009

 

Professional Line Service Training 

PLST Online provides the most up-to-date training available for line service specialists – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Line service supervisors can conduct the new PLST Online training anytime and from anywhere there is access to the Web.   
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139 Fire Safety Training Online

fire

This training not only meets and exceeds the requirements of 14 CFR 139.321 but also allows you to interact with other students in a group learning environment, receive the very latest NFPA news, watch live training presentations and much more.

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Pre-Employment Screening Exam

pre

NATA is offering the first pre-employment screening exam specifically for line service technicians and FBO customer service specialists.

With predecessor exams already in use at more than 900 companies worldwide, NATA has adapted the most cost effective and revealing pre-employment testing and post employment testing available for FBO use.

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March NATA ASC Meeting To Highlight Cargo Security, Labor Experts
The March 9-10, 2009 NATA Airline Services Council meeting in Las Vegas, NV, will include Transportation Security Administration officials who will address the impact of the Certified Cargo Screening Program on NATA ASC members as well as an expert to discuss labor issues affecting the airline services industry.

Other issues to be discussed during the March meeting include:

  • Airline Bankruptcy Update
  • War Risk and Terrorism Insurance Update
  • Legislative & Regulatory Update
  • Security Issues Affecting NATA ASC Member Companies

To view the complete agenda for the March meeting, please click here.

Members wishing to confirm their participation at the March meeting may do so by clicking here.

For more information on this meeting, please contact Eric Byer.

TSA Announces GM for New Commercial Aviation Branch
Earlier this month, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transportation Sector Network Management Chief John Sammon announced Doug Hofsass as the new general manager of the Commercial Aviation Branch within the agency. Doug takes over this new branch that combines the previously separate Commercial Airlines and Commercial Airports Divisions.

The official statement from Sammon follows:

It is my pleasure to announce the selection of Mr. Douglas Hofsass as General Manager, Commercial Aviation, Transportation Sector Network Management.

The Commercial Airports and Commercial Airlines Divisions will be reconfigured as the Commercial Aviation Division under a single General Manager. The Commercial Airports and Commercial Airlines Divisions staffing will remain intact. This new Commercial Aviation Division will benefit aviation security efforts agency-wide and nationally by providing unified, innovative and expert leadership in the establishment and implementation of comprehensive airline and airport security programs and communication strategies through collaboration with airline and airport industry partners and federal stakeholders. In addition, this new position will provide a unified voice for commercial aviation security programs and regulations governing commercial aviation in response to inquiries from commercial airports, commercial air carriers and representative industry associations.

In his new position, Mr. Hofsass will use his extensive airport and airline experience in government and private industry. His experience complements TSA's strategy of leveraging industry expertise and credibility to build situational awareness and cooperative security enhancements through timely and candid security information sharing through a coordinated network.

Please join me in congratulating Doug and welcoming him to his new position as General Manager, Commercial Aviation Division.

John Sammon

EPA Announces SPPC Rule Date Extension
On January 29, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will delay the effective date of the final rule that amends the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2008. The amendments will now become effective on April 4, 2009. This will allow an additional 60 days for the regulated public to comment on the new regulations and will also allow the new administration to interpret the comments. The White House had issued a memorandum titled "Regulatory Review" that formed the basis of the additional comment period.

The rules published in December 5, 2008, included several items listed below that may affect aviation.

  • A new definition of "facility"
  • A new definition of "loading/unloading racks"
  • A new streamlined approach for smaller facilities
  • Amendment to the facility diagram requirement
  • Amendment to the integrity testing requirement
The NATA published a complete analysis of the December 2008 rules that is accessible on the NATA SPCC Issue Page by clicking here.

Included in this new analysis will be the implementation date of November 20, 2009. This is currently the date by which the new parts of the regulations must be integrated into a facility's SPCC Plan and physical requirements must be installed. The aviation industry will have to wait to see if this date remains in place or if the EPA will make further changes. Changes to the December 2008 rules are also possible.

NATA will continue to provide detailed information to its members regarding new EPA rules and regulations. Questions and comments can be directed to Eric Byer.

Download a PDF copy of NATA's Regulatory Report.

Economic Stimulus Legislative Report Now Available
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate approved the $787 billion economic stimulus package that Congress has been considering over the last month. President Barack Obama signed H.R. 1, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act into law on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. The final measure contains many provisions to help stimulate the economy, including tax credits, homebuyer incentives and foreclosure assistance, as well as essential transportation infrastructure funding.

To read NATA's Legislative Report on H.R. 1, please click here.

Congress Introduces FAA Reauthorization Act Of 2009
House Committee Holds Hearing On FAA Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure introduced a new bill to reauthorize the nation's aviation programs for another four years. H.R. 915, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2009 authorizes nearly $70 billion for the FAA for Fiscal Years 2009 through 2012. The bill is nearly identical to H.R. 2881, introduced in 2007, which passed the House but stalled in the Senate. The bill expired in 2008 at the end of the 110th Congress. Although the FAA's previous authorization was set to expire at the end of September 2007, the agency's taxing and operating authority has been preserved through a series of extensions. The current extension expires at the end of March.

The new bill provides historic funding levels for the FAA's capital programs, including $16.2 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, nearly $13.4 billion for FAA Facilities and Equipment, and $1.35 billion for Research, Engineering, and Development. These funding levels will enable the FAA to modernize the nation's air traffic control system and make capacity-enhancing improvements at the nation's airports. In addition, the bill provides $38.9 billion for FAA Operations over the next four years.

The legislation increases the number of aviation safety inspectors, requires the FAA to inspect all certificated foreign repair stations twice each year and provides funding for runway incursion reduction programs and runway status light installation. In addition, the bill creates an independent Aviation Safety Whistleblower Investigation Office within the FAA. That office will be charged with receiving safety complaints and information submitted by both FAA employees and employees of certificated entities, investigating them, and then recommending appropriate corrective actions to the FAA.

Click here to view the text of H.R. 915

Click here to view the committee summary of H.R. 915.

Click here to view NATA's Legislative Report on H.R. 915.

Click here to view NATA's written testimony that was submitted for the record.

Association Joins Industry Letter On FAA Reauthorization
NATA, along with nearly two dozen other aviation industry groups, recently sent a letter to Capitol Hill leadership encouraging Congress to pass a comprehensive, long-term FAA reauthorization bill as soon as possible. The letter states that with the current economic crisis it is paramount that a long-term FAA reauthorization bill be approved "to expedite the modernization and expansion of our national air transportation system and foundation for future growth of the economy."

To view the aviation industry's letter to Capitol Hill, please click here.

NATA Announces New Capitol Hill Visits Webpage
As you may know, NATA has embarked on an aggressive schedule to meet with approximately 200 Members of Congress and their staff in the next few months to discuss our 2009 legislative agenda. To keep you better informed, NATA's new Web site has a webpage devoted specifically to those meetings. Meetings that have been held or are currently scheduled are published. Soon to come, photographs of NATA staff with Members of Congress will be posted. Please check in often to see when we've met with your congressional delegation.

To visit the Capitol Hill Visits webpage, please click here.

NATA Joins Aviation Industry Stakeholders In Promoting Environmental Agenda
The aviation industry has joined forces in an effort to address its role in climate change. Almost twenty organizations representing the aviation industry have come together to create a document to explain the industry's role in environmental policy. While Congress has committed to making environmental measures affecting climate change a priority in the coming years, the aviation industry's proactive approach to climate change is being highlighted to educate Members of Congress and their staff when individual organizations meet with Congress this year.

To view the Aviation Industry Stakeholders Executive Summary, please click here.

Track Important Airline Data Via The Bureau Of Transportation Statistics
One of the little known secrets in the aviation industry is the data compiled tracking airline activity. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics tracks information on air fares, load factors, delays, employment rates and much, much more.

To learn the very latest statistics on the airline industry via the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, please click here.

2009 ASC Meeting Schedule Available For Review
NATA staff recently finalized the 2009 event calendar for the NATA Airline Services Council.

Members may view the revised event memorandum for this meeting by clicking here.

For more information, please contact Eric Byer.

2009 NATA Airline Services Council Brochure Now Available!!!

The 2009 NATA ASC marketing brochure is available for members to download.

Click here to download the brochure today!!!


If you have questions about the brochure, please contact Eric Byer.

New NATA Airline ASC Logo Available For Member Use
Per the request of members at the last NATA ASC meeting in October, NATA has created a new NATA ASC logo that members can use on company stationery, publications and their Web site. The association recently provided members with two types of logos that members can utilize as appropriate. Members wishing to secure the new NATA ASC logo may do so by contacting Eric Byer.

Visit us anytime at www.nata.aero


National Air Transportation Association
4226 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22302
Phone: (800)808-6282
Fax: (703)845-0396
 
 
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