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NATA is the National Air Transportation Association
Founded in 1940, NATA aggressively promotes safety and the success of aviation service businesses through its advocacy efforts before government, the media and the public as well as by providing valuable programs and forums to further its members’ prosperity. |
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| Coyne Blasts USA Today For Misleading Story On GA Airports |
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| NATA President James K. Coyne immediately responded to the outrageous September 17th USA Today article authored by Thomas Frank titled "Feds Keep Little Used Airports In Business." Coyne stated, "Mr. Frank's biased and poorly researched story clearly misses the extraordinary value that America's general aviation airports provide to small communities across this great nation and contains misleading facts that do not demonstrate the entire picture of the importance of general aviation airports to those communities."
Other excerpts from Coyne's response include:
"The article clearly indicates that competition is not of value to the USA Today organization. The article certainly seems to align USA Today with the airline industry's advocacy and public relation efforts to continue a monopolistic, mid-20th century hub-and-spoke air transportation system that showcases poor customer service, delayed flights and a business model for failure."
"It is important to note that USA Today's parent company, Gannett Company Inc., utilizes at least three general aviation aircraft according the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) aircraft registry. Clearly, the executives at Gannett recognize the value of general aviation as they would not operate these aircraft otherwise. I would be willing to bet that these aircraft use general aviation airports near major metropolitan areas to maximize their time, bypassing busier commercial airports with frequent delays."
To view Coyne's entire response to the USA Today article, please click here. | |
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| EPA Releases Proposed Effluent Limitation Guidelines For De-icing Activities |
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| The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled "Effluent Limitation Guidelines and New Source Performance Standards for the Airport Deicing Category." This proposed rule would affect primary commercial service airports with more than 1000 annual jet aircraft departures by regulating wastewater resulting from de-icing activities. Depending on the amount of aircraft de-icing fluid used, airports would be required to collect 20 or 60 percent of available aircraft de-icing fluid and treat the waste to reduce its overall effect on the environment.
NATA has produced a regulatory report on this NPRM providing an overview of the requirements of the regulation that may be accessed here. NATA is concerned with the cost and possible effect on aircraft safety that this proposed regulation may create and will be working with its members and others in the industry to draft formal comments to submit to the EPA. The full text of the NPRM (45 pages) may be downloaded here. | |
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| TSA Releases Interim Final Rule On Air Cargo Screening |
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| On September 16, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) titled "Air Cargo Screening" to meet the requirements of section 1602 of the Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The act requires that by February 3, 2009, at least 50% of cargo carried on commercial passenger aircraft must be screened and by August 3, 2010, 100% of cargo carried on commercial passenger aircraft must be screened.
The TSA has determined that the affected air carriers do not have the facilities to be able to meet these requirements without inflicting significant delays and backlogs of unscreened cargo. Therefore, this IFR creates the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) to allow firms, such as shippers, manufacturers, warehousing entities, distributors, third-party logistics companies, and Indirect Air Carriers (IACs), to become Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF).
Once certified, the CCSF must-
- Implement the certified cargo screening standard security program that the TSA develops and any amendments to it;
- Appoint security coordinators at the corporate and facility levels and alternates to be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week;
- Ensure that the following individuals successfully undergo a TSA-conducted Security Threat Assessment:
- Each employee and authorized representative who screens cargo or has unescorted access to screened cargo, and
- each security coordinator and alternate, senior manager of the facility, and other individual who implements the cargo screening program;
- Adhere to strict physical and access control measures for the storage, handling, and screening of cargo;
- Screen cargo using TSA-approved methods;
- Implement chain of custody requirements, including the use of tamper evident technology, which must begin when the cargo is screened and remain intact until the cargo is tendered to the aircraft operator for transport on a passenger aircraft; and
- Apply for recertification, including a new examination by a TSA-approved validator, every 36 months
NATA staff have evaluated this IFR and produced a regulatory report that is available to members here. This IFR becomes effective on November 16, 2009, and is open for public comment until November 16, 2009. | |
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| House Committee Scrutinizes Health Insurance Company Practices Of Terminating Small Businesses |
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| Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent letters to six health insurance companies requesting information about the practice of "purging" small businesses when their health insurance claims increased due to employees becoming ill. Chairman Waxman stated that the committee is looking into the practice and "We need to better understand how widespread this harmful and destructive practice has become, and how it is impacting small businesses and their employees across the country."
Chairman Stupak stated, "We have documented examples of insurance companies raising small business premiums by an unsustainable amount or canceling a policy once it is discovered a covered employee is sick. Much like rescissions in the individual market, this practice is alarming. To better understand how prevalent this practice is and precisely how many small businesses are impacted, we are asking some of the largest insurers to provide information on their small business policies."
The committee is requesting information and documents for small group policies, including their renewal rates, factors used to determine premium rates, and the maximum premium rate increases. To read the House Energy and Commerce Press Release and the Chairman's letters to the insurance companies, please click here.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce authored H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choice Act, to reform our nation's health care system by making insurance market reforms to protect consumers, to encourage competition among insurance plans, to improve choices for patients, and to expand access to quality, affordable health care. The legislation passed the committee on July 31, 2009, by a voice of 31 to 28. | |
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| Senate Approves FY10 Transportation Appropriations Bill |
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| On September 17, the U.S. Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 3288, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July. The measure provides $122 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation, including the FAA, along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The legislation provides $4 billion for an infrastructure bank or fund, established by President Obama earlier this year, called the National Infrastructure Bank (NIB). NIB is intended to support transportation-related investments, creating more financial support for the improvement of the current transportation structure. NATA, along with other general aviation associations, signed a joint letter requesting that Congress consider NextGen equipage to be an eligible investment for an infrastructure bank or fund. While there are many details to work out about how the fund or bank is to operate, the letter highlights the opportunity to gain congressional recognition for the importance of NextGen funding and eventual implementation.
The House and the Senate plan to convene a conference to work out any differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of the transportation appropriations bill.
To view a copy of the NIB letter, please click here.
To view the legislative report on H.R. 3288, please click here.
NATA will provide a legislative report on the final conference version of the FY10 Transportation Appropriations Bill once it is complete. | |
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| FAA Releases Consistency And Standardization Initiative |
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| In late September, the FAA renamed its Customer Service Initiative (CSI) the Consistency and Standardization Initiative (CSI) to give those affected by agency decisions a process they can use to ask for review at increasingly higher levels of the FAA with no fear of retribution. The Customer Service Initiative was created in 2004 and has processed over 350 cases. The FAA claims the decision to rename the program the Consistency and Standardization Initiative "emphasizes the original intent to ensure consistent interpretation and implementation of agency regulation and policies." “CSI defines what the aviation community can expect from the FAA when doing business with any Aviation Safety office, and what we expect from the community in return," the FAA said.
Over the last two years, NATA has worked with Congress to find ways to minimize the lack of standardization and inconsistent regulations that increasingly have plagued association members. Last year, Congress requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study lack of standardization and inconsistent regulations within the FAA and its effect on the general aviation industry. The report is just getting under way and once completed will shed light on how costly lack of standardization has been for the general aviation industry and how inconsistencies can be minimized within the agency.
To view the program in more detail, click here to read the FAA's press release. | |
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| GA Serves America Campaign Rolls To Oxford, CT, On October 1 And Napa, CA, On October 6 |
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| The General Aviation Serves America campaign will make stops at Waterbury-Oxford Airport on October 1 and at Napa County Airport on October 6 for Town Hall meetings featuring NATA President James K. Coyne and AOPA President Craig Fuller. The Oxford, CT meeting will be hosted by NATA member company Key Air and the Napa, CA town hall meeting will be hosted by NATA member company Bridgeford Flying Services and sponsored by the Napa Airport Pilots Association, the local EAA Chapter 167 and the Napa County Airport.
To learn more about the Oxford, CT event, including how to RSVP, please click here.
To learn more about the Napa, CA event, including how to RSVP, please click here.
For more information, please contact Eric R. Byer. | |
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| NATA Joins Aviation Spectrum Resources' Aviation Frequency Committee |
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| NATA is pleased to announce that it will be working with Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc (ASRI) to help ensure that NATA member companies receive the latest information regarding radio operations and FCC compliance. This will also allow NATA member companies to have a voice in creating and revising operational policies regarding aeronautical en route service frequencies. NATA Manager of Regulatory Affairs Michael France has been named as a member of ASRI's Aeronautical Frequency Committee (AFC) and recently met with ASRI management to discuss NATA's role in the AFC.
ASRI (www.asri.aero) began operations in 1929 as Aeronautical Radio Inc. (ARINC) as a non-profit company owned by major airlines and other aviation-related companies. ARINC's purpose was to manage the limited number of available frequencies used by airlines. Through the years, ARINC grew and branched out into other areas in the aerospace sector. In early 2006, the frequency management department of ARINC was spun off and became Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc.
Today, ASRI is responsible, through a charter with the FCC, for managing the aeronautical en route VHF Spectrum 128.825 - 132.00 MHz and 136.500 - 136.975 MHz and the Long Distance Operational Control (LDOC) HF spectrum in the United States. These frequencies are often used by NATA member FBOs and charter operators to communicate with inbound and outbound aircraft.
ASRI's Aeronautical Frequency Committee (AFC) comprises major and regional commercial aircraft operators and organizations representing business and general aviation aircraft operators. The AFC formulates policies and recommendations relating to the allocation, assignment and efficient use of the frequency spectrum. These policies and recommendations take effect only upon adoption by the ASRI Board of Directors. | |
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| Up-to-date Issue Database Available On NATA Web Site |
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| As the voice of business aviation, NATA provides you the latest information on issues that affect your business. Through the www.nata.aero Web site, you have member-only access to a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute issue database of safety, regulatory and legislative resources. To view these resources, select the "Issues" button on the left-side navigation of the home page. The resource pages are organized by topic and contain issue background, historical information, releases on the latest developments, links to other resources and NATA's key staff contact. If you prefer to view the issue resources by release type and date, visit the Legislative and Regulatory Information tab on the Government Affairs page. Either way, you can stay informed on recent developments and NATA's latest actions to help ensure a secure future for our members.
The Government & Industry Affairs staff is always available to answer questions or address concerns, please feel free to contact us at (800) 808-NATA. | |
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| NATF Offers Three Great Scholarships |
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| The National Air Transportation Foundation's (NATF) mission is to enhance the safety and quality of service provided to the flying public by assisting deserving individuals to reach their academic and flight training goals. One way of achieving this mission is through scholarships.
NATF provides three scholarships annually – an academic scholarship, a flight training scholarship and a business scholarship. By awarding these scholarships, NATF hopes to achieve its goal of assisting outstanding candidates pursuing careers in general aviation.
The Pioneers of Flight Scholarship is given annually to two deserving college students enrolled in an aviation accredited four-year college or university to help fund their academic goals. NATF's flight training scholarship, the Dan L. Meisinger Sr. Memorial Scholarship, is given annually to an aviation college student to assist with flight lessons. The NATA Business Scholarship, given annually to an employee of a NATA member company, funds studies directly related to furthering the skills applicable to working at an FBO, charter company, maintenance facility or flight school.
We are now accepting applications for the 2009 scholarships; don't miss the deadline!
Additional NATF scholarship applications and requirements are available by clicking here. | |
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| Follow NATA On Twitter Or Become A Fan On Facebook For Updates And Special Offers |
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| Make social media your go-to source for industry and association updates. NATA has joined a number of our members such as Duncan Aviation, Cutter Aviation, Priester Aviation and DB Aviation as a member of the Twitter and Facebook communities. Thank you to those who have recently joined us on Twitter and Facebook!
If you haven't already, we encourage you to follow NATAaero on Twitter and become a fan of the National Air Transportation Association on Facebook for an immediate pulse on association news and events, and access to special offers and resources as well as information about product and service launches, member news and other news of interest. | |
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