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September 30, 2013 – Volume 12 Issue 29
 Federal Government Shutdown Likely
It appears, barring a last minute breakthrough tonight, the federal government will shut down starting tomorrow, October 1st. The Senate today rejected the House funding bill that included a provision to delay the implementation of Obamacare for one year. The House is expected to pass another funding bill today that would include a provision requiring Members of Congress, the President, and certain federal employees to be covered under Obamacare. It is expected that the Senate will oppose this bill as well. The impacts of a government shutdown include the furloughing of 15,000 of the Department of Transportation's 55,000 employees. Over 25,000 DOT employees are protected from furloughs, including air traffic controllers, due to life and safety responsibilities. It is hard to predict how long this shutdown will last and the debate over whether or not to increase the debt ceiling will begin soon as the federal government is expected to reach the $16.7 trillion debt limit by October 17th. For more information on the details of DOT's shutdown plan, click here.
Hendricks to Participate on Congressional Committee Roundtable
NATA President Tom Hendricks will participate this week with other industry leaders and Members of Congress on a General Aviation Industry Roundtable hosted by the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business, Sam Graves. The Roundtable participants will discuss key issues facing the industry, including the application of Federal Excise Taxes on aircraft management services.
DOT Publishes Air Charter Brokering NPRM
Today, the DOT published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking to impose new regulatory requirements to protect air charter consumers. Under the proposal both air charter brokers and air carriers would be required to make certain disclosures to customers. The DOT is proposing that charter customers receive information on the actual air carrier operating the flight, the aircraft utilized and total trip costs (including applicable fees), among other details. Additionally, the DOT intends to codify a long-standing exemption related to the ability for indirect air carriers to sell air ambulance services. Comments on the proposal are due by November 29, 2013. More information is available on the NATA Air Charter Brokering issue page (member login required).
FAA Grants Extension on ECI AD NPRM Comment Period
The FAA has granted a 60-day extension to the Continental Motors, Inc. Reciprocating Engine ECI AD NPRM comment period. The comment period will close Dec. 11 and the Notice is on public display in the Federal Register. The FAA also added additional information to the docket including a white paper and risk analysis. NATA will be providing comments, however we encourage our members to also comment. Please click here to review the docket and comment.
Weekly Regulatory Update
NATA compiles relevant updates from the FAA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security each day from the Federal Register. You may view the latest notices, rules and proposed rules in a single source by clicking here.
Aviation Business Roundtable Update – Housing Deadline October 14
NATA’s Aviation Business Roundtable takes place November 13-14, 2013, in Arlington, Virginia. The Roundtable assembles business executives from all segments of the aviation community and provides a unique opportunity to discuss important and relevant issues with key Administration officials including NTSB Member Earl F. Weener, Ph.D., FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and TSA Administrator John Pistole, Members of Congress, and other top industry leaders. The program will begin Wednesday, November 13, at noon with a luncheon and conclude Thursday, November 14, at noon. Additional agenda details will be provided in the coming weeks. Please don’t miss the hotel room block deadline on October 14. Click here for more information.
NATA Safety 1st Wraps Up Indianapolis Training Seminars
The final in-person training events of 2013, the fall Line Service Supervisor Training seminar and the new Aviation Management Workshop were a great success. Check out the latest post to the official NATA Safety 1st Program Blog – The Safety Net for a wrap up of the training events and meetings held in Indianapolis, IN last week.
NATA President Updates Pentastar Aviation On Latest Issues and Initiatives
On Thursday, September 26, Tom Hendricks toured the Pentastar Aviation facility with (L-R): Frank Publiski, VP Maintenance Operations; Greg Schmidt, President & CEO and Bob Sarazin, VP FBO Services, and provided a briefing to more than 100 employees. Hendricks briefed attendees on NATA legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts, safety training initiatives, and also held a very informative Q&A session. “It was a pleasure to spend time with the employees of Pentastar Aviation. I thank NATA Board Member and President of Pentastar Aviation Greg Schmidt for the opportunity and applaud his dedication to his staff – some who have been with the company for 30 years,” said Hendricks. If you are interested in hosting a Town Hall or in having Tom speak at an event, please contact Rebecca Mulholland at rmulholland@nata.aero.
Sentient Jet: Best Summer for Private Jet Travel Since 2008
Sentient Jet, a Directional Aviation Capital company, today announced that private jet travel and jet card sales continue to grow year over year, reaching levels not seen since before the peak of the financial crisis in 2008. Click here to read the entire article.
Universal Aviation Greece Thanks Clients for 20 Years of Support
Athens-based Universal Aviation Greece (LGAV/ATH) officially celebrated its 20th year of providing ground support services throughout Greece and all the Greek isles. Euro Aviation opened in 1993 and was re-branded as Universal Aviation Greece in 2011. Click here to read more.
New Galaxy FBO Opens at Lone Star Executive Airport
Located at the southern end of Lone Star Executive Airport main runway, Galaxy's new FBO features two hangers, each totaling 76,000 square feet. The hangars can fit about four large cabin jets and 15 to 20 mid-sized business jets. Click here to read more.
Visit http://www.acsf.aero/ for the latest news and information from the Air Charter Safety Foundation.
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